Viral Legacy
by Agent66
Summary: STORY 7 IN BEGINNINGS SAGA!! The most daring story of all as the Matrixes head into court! NOW COMPLETE!!
1. Prologue: The Trial

**Viral Legacy**   


**Prologue: The Trial**

  
  
  
  
  


This was bad. 

Very bad. 

A very agitated, and slightly distraught, Enzo Matrix paced the shiny, bright tiles that lined the ground. Dressed in a gray suit and tie, Enzo paced back and forth, looking at his watch, wondering where they were. This was a bad situation, very bad. He couldn't actually believe they were even here. A young tan sprite watched the young man pace continually. Alexandria Matrix knew this new crisis was slowly driving her family insane. 

"Where are they?" Enzo muttered, popping his fingers as he paced. "Don't they have any idea what's at stake here?" 

"We know exactly what's at stake." replied a rough voice from behind. 

Coming up from behind, Enzo's brother and sister came over to him. Matrix was dressed in a similar suit and constantly playing with his tie, Dot was dressed in a simple black business suit. "Where have you been?!" he exclaimed. 

"Keep your cool." Dot hissed, looking sternly at her younger brother. "The last thing we need is for one of us to completely lose it. So stay frosty." 

Enzo took a deep breath and sighed. "What're we gonna do?" he whispered, his demeanor changing completely. He literally looked like he was on the verge of crying. 

Dot also sighed, shaking her head. Of all the things she thought she and her family would face, this was not one of them. "Let's just hope our attorney is able to set some things straight." she said. 

*** 

"I don't believe this!" came a cry from a back office. 

Christopher "Kit" Lan, along with his brother Jet, stood in the counsel chamber before the trial began. The brothers were also dressed in suits. In the room with them was another sprite, beige tone, with brown hair and brown eyes. The three stood in front of a small desk where an older sprite sat. Kit couldn't believe he was in this situation. He and his family were now in the system of Trison, a smaller sister city to the Super Computer. 

The whole thing seemed like a nightmare. 

Kit hoped he would have a joyous celebration for finishing his internship in the system of Devonshire, a premiere system with the foremost science program. He was now 'Dr. Christopher Lan' and his arrival back home only made the news even sweeter. He had proposed to his girlfriend, Danielle Avery, and had made an official announcement. He was also there in order to see his brother and sister graduate from high school. Things couldn't have been better. 

Until they received the vidwindow from Turbo, the former Prime Guardian and head of the Guardian Academy. 

The former leader had told them about a new council that had been formed in order to keep justice and peace within the known Net. The council itself was made up of former military leaders, as well as Command.Coms from different systems, and even lawyers. It was basically a jury, with the prime leader as the judge. The group had thought Turbo was calling to inform his mother, Dot Matrix, that she was being considered for one of the positions ~something that had been discussed only a few hours earlier~ but to their dismay, the call was to inform them that they were being summoned to court. The charge? 

Crimes against the Net. 

Kit couldn't believe it. After all he and his family had done in order to try and save the Net, three members of his family ~Matrix, Enzo, and Dot~ were being charged with committing crimes against the known Net. The charges ranged as far back as to Matrix and AndrAIa's time in the games. Turbo said the group ~all members~ were to be in Trison in about two cycles in order to stand trial.   
  
So now, Kit and his brother Jet, stood in the council chambers, talking ~or rather yelling~ at the judge for their case, a Percevil Riley, an ancient, over weight, balding sprite with a bad attitude. This 'judge', and the boys used the term loosely, was actually saying they couldn't represent their family in court, due to the fact they weren't actual lawyers. The prosecutor, T. Johnson Peters, smirked. He had studied law for five hours before being asked to be prosecutor for council. They had yet to find a defense attorney. 

"What makes you think you make a good lawyer?" Peters asked, smiling at the brothers. 

"What makes you think you're gonna win?" asked Jet, his arms folded across his chest. 

"Gentlemen, please." Riley stated. "TJ, if these boys want to make fool of themselves, let them go right ahead." He then pointed at both young sprites. "But I refuse to have you make a mockery of my court." 

"Consider it an honor." Kit smirked. "To serve you. Sir." 

Riley looked at the two, knowing an insult when he heard it. "Get out of my office." he growled. 

The two brothers left the room, Kit frustrated more than ever. "Of all the basic, two-bit..." he chorused, until he realized people were filling the court room. He couldn't believe these things were opened to the public. The two walked over to their table, their defendants already seated, and took their places. 

"How're things going, counselor?" Matrix asked. 

"It's going to be a bumpy ride." KIt replied, dryly. 

The court room was large in size, being converted from a large dining hall. On the left was the council table where nine council members sat during the trial. In front, like any court room, was the judge's bench and the witness stand. The nine members entered the court, taking their place at the table. The Mainframers weren't too surprised when Turbo took his place at the table as a members. 

"Just when I thought he was tired of being a traitor..." Matrix muttered. 

"I can't believe he's on the council." whispered Roscoe Bettyoskin, seated next to Sabrina Matrix. 

"Stay chilled, Lover boy." she cooed. "Turbo's on our side." 

"Wanna bet?" Matrix asked over his shoulder. 

Riley entered the court and all was silent. He sat in his chair and banged the gavel. "This is a trial, like any other, to determine the fate of those who would betray us in the known Net." he said. "Mr. Peters, your opening statement, sir." 

"Thank you, your honor." Peters replied, standing. "Ladies and gentlemen of the United Council for the Known Net, we are here today to bring justice against those who have betrayed us. The prosecution will show that these defendants, Enzo Matrix, Sr., Enzo Matrix, Jr., and Dot Matrix, have hereby destroyed the trust and positions we have put them in. Not only that, but the prosecution will also show that their family members are also prone to destroy everything we hold dear in this great diplomacy of ours. The list of offenses is long indeed. From kidnapping to murder. Stretching from the new Prime Guardian, Robert Lan, to one of his own cadets, Sabrina Matrix. This family of cold, calculating, and cunning sprites have brought the Net to the depths of harshness. I will do my best to put them away for good."   



	2. Chapter One: First Witness

**Viral Legacy**   


**Chapter One: First Witness**

  
  
  
  


"Call your first witness." Riley boomed. 

"Prosecution calls Webster Neddles." 

A small one binome, looking very disheveled, approached the stand and took his seat. Peters approached him. "Mr. Neddles, please state your place of residence." 

"I live in a system called Dellpac." the binome replied. 

"Have you lived there all your life?" 

"Yes sir." he said. 

"Mr. Neddles, please describe the events that bring you here today." Peters said. 

"Well..." the binome gulped. He looked over at the defense table and shuttered, turning his eyes away. "It was hours ago, you gotta understand. It was random though..." 

**_GAME OVER!_**

_The purple cube lifted from the ground and into the sky, leaving two young sprites and a large red and yellow dog in its wake. It was the same thing every time they emerged. They landed in a system with no ports to the Net and one that was badly damaged due to losing the games. Enzo Matrix, now using his last name instead of his first, sighed, the hope he had for finding home, completely disappearing. Like it usually did._

_His companion, a young tan skinned sprite looked over at him and placed her hand on his arm, to which he just shrugged it off. AndrAIa also sighed. It was getting so hard for him to believe they would find home one second. Every once in a while, even she lost hope. But looking at the vacant stare that came from those violet eyes of his, her hope renewed, if only to keep her beloved friend from crashing in on himself. "Enzo?" she asked, once again touching his arm._

_"The name's Matrix." he growled. Shrugging her away, he said, "Don't ever forget it."_

_His violent nature was beginning to scare her out of her skin. He had never been violent before. He had a temper, yes. He had told her of the famous Matrix temper, that he and his sister shared, but now...now his temper ruled his heart and his head at most times. Shying away from him, she began looking around and saw a couple of binomes staring at them from behind a tree. She was about to ask them to come out, when a smaller sprite came over to them._

_"Did you guys come from that cube?" she asked, clutching a small doll to her chest._

_AndrAIa bent down to the girl's level and smiled. "Yes, we did." she said._

_"How did you do that?" the girl asked._

_"We've got special icons that let us use the games for travel." AndrAIa explained. "I'm AndrAIa and this is Frisket." She introduced the dog when he came over and sniffed the doll. "He won't bite." she said, as the girl cowered under the dog's inspection. "He's a big puppy actually." Frisket looked at the game sprite in surprise, but melted when the girl gave the dog a hug._

_"This is Morgan." the girl said, holding out her doll. "And I'm Molly."_

_"Well, hello Morgan." AndrAIa replied, shaking the doll's hand. "And hello to you too, Molly."_

_The little girl giggled, making AndrAIa, and even Frisket, smile. The sound was refreshing, something the two hadn't heard since..._

_"Your Command.Com still around?" Matrix asked, looking at the child._

_The girl looked up in confused fear and cowered behind AndrAIa, who shot Matrix a look he had seen many times. "Don't mind him." she soothed to the girl. "That's my friend En...Matrix."_

_"He's mean and scary." the girl whispered._

_AndrAIa almost laughed. Matrix was only about 1.5 and the girl was terribly afraid of him. Well, so was she sometimes... "He gets that way sometimes." she said. "Are your parents around?"_

_The girl nodded slowly. "My Daddy's at work." she said. She turned and pointed to the triangle top of their Principal Office. "In the triangle house."_

_"Could you take us to him?" the game sprite asked. Molly nodded enthusiastically. Standing and taking the girl by the hand, the two started for the Principal Office, with Frisket and Matrix bringing up the rear..._

"Our Command.Com, Marcus, welcomed them in." the binome continued. "Something about them trying to find home, where ever that was. Anyways, they stayed out of our way and we out of theirs, but then..." Neddles stopped midsentence, gulping and looking at his hands. 

"What happened, Mr. Neddles?" Peters asked, gently, sending an evil glare towards the defense table. 

"It all started a few seconds after they got there..." 

_The arrival of the two unknown sprites was like the heralding of a large party. Everywhere the two teenagers went, curious binomes and sprites would usually follow. Most of the time, AndrAIa took up the questioning, while Matrix grumbled about this and that. But it was that fateful second that would change everything._

_It had really started when Molly had led them to the Principal Office. The two game hoppers by now were familiar with the signs of degradation due to loss of games. The sky was slightly clouded over with smoke and a few large craters were noticed, the last remains of whatever sector had been there. They finally reached the triangular building and walked in. Molly and AndrAIa struck up a fast friendship, while Matrix and Frisket hung back. Molly enjoyed talking to the pretty girl. She was pretty and fun to talk to and made her laugh. She liked her doggie too._

_But that Matrix man was just scary._

_The little girl led them through the halls and corridors until they reached a small, but disorganized office. "Daddy." Molly called, entering the office. There were read me files on the floor and the desk ~or what they assumed was indeed the desk~ as well as containers and the like. The girl jumped over all the clutter and went around to the desk. "Daddy?"_

_A small thud and a string of curses could be heard from the other side of the desk. Matrix and AndrAIa exchanged puzzled looks, before peering back over to the latest scene. Finally, an adult sprite emerged, his face contorted in pain and slight anger. He was rather young, probably five or six hours older than the teenagers that stood in his office. He was a light gray and when he opened his eyes, they were a dark brown._

_"Oh!" he exclaimed, getting up quickly. "I didn't know anyone was here."_

_"See, Daddy?" Molly replied, a smile on her face. "I helped."_

_"Sure did, butterscotch." he said, bending to kiss her forehead. Moving past the girl, the sprite managed to step over files and such to shake the teenagers hands. "Mark Legas, Command.Com of Dellpac." he said, smiling. "Sorry about the mess, but things have been..."_

_"We've seen." Matrix muttered. "What exactly have you been doing?"_

_Mark was slightly taken aback by the question. "My job, Mister..."_

_"No mister." Matrix replied. "Just Matrix."_

_"I'm AndrAIa, Mr. Legas." AndrAIa said, smiling and delivering a well placed elbow to Matrix's side. Mark smiled as well, taking her hand in his. "What has happened?" she asked._

_Mark's smile immediately vanished and he released her hand. "As you've noticed I'm sure," he started. "I'm about to lose more than I realized when I became Command.Com. All our game players have either left or have been deleted."_

_"Like Mommy, Daddy?" Molly asked, pulling on his pants leg._

_Mark's face showed a brief sign of loss, but was quickly replaced with a smile. He bent down and picked his daughter up and swung her around. "I see you've met my little Molly." he said, rubbing noses with her. The scene caused a mixture of happiness and sadness. For AndrAIa, the scene was priceless. As Mouse would say, "a pure photoshop moment." Of course, for another reason, a different picture came to mind. One that featured her and Enzo and possibly a family of their own, but of course, that was just wishful thinking._

_For Matrix, it was a sad scene, one that reminded him of being small and having Dot pick him up like that. The image of Dot still stuck in his mind and as they traveled, he knew he had let her down, let Mainframe down. And now, he was leading AndrAIa and Frisket on a certain wild goose chase trying to find home, something even he knew wouldn't be happening any time soon. Matrix cleared his throat, wanting to get right to business. The sooner they left, the sooner they could find Mainframe._

_"What happened?"_

_"Simple." Mark replied. "Games became too much, I guess. All the players deleted or left."_

_"You guys didn't have a guardian protecting you?" AndrAIa questioned._

_Mark smirked. "Yeah, we did." he said. "Who do you think was the first too leave?"_

_Matrix and AndrAIa looked at each other. Now that just didn't make sense. Since when did guardians leave their designated systems? Their thoughts were interrupted when a red sprite ran into them or rather AndrAIa. "Mark!" he exclaimed, until he saw the person he ran into. "Sorry about that." he said, smiling at the game sprite._

_"What's the problem now, Cody?" Mark asked, placing Molly on the floor._

_"Oh nothing." he said, looking AndrAIa over. "Nothing that you can't fix rather."_

_"Right." Mark rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, sector 12 again." The young sprite nodded. "Great." sighed the command.com. "Oh, meet AndrAIa and Matrix. They just got here. Mind showing them around while I take care of our little problem?"_

_Cody looked up and smiled. "Sure." he said. Turning back to AndrAIa, he took her hand and kissed it. "Decoder Richson." he smiled. "The...unofficial stand in for our long gone guardian."_

_Matrix made a small grunt, signaling Cody to his presence. The red sprite turned slightly to scowl at the teenager. "Matrix, huh?" he asked, taking a look at him. "Pretty big name for a little shorty, huh?" AndrAIa chuckled, much to Matrix's embarrassment and anger. Cody laughed and turned back to the game sprite. "A pretty laugh for a pretty girl." he said. "I like that."_

_"I'm sure you'll be hearing more." she giggled._

_"Can I come too?" Molly asked._

_"Sure you can, princess." Cody replied. "We'll have a great time." Offering his hand to the girl and his arm to AndrAIa, the three started out to look around, leaving a growling Frisket and Matrix behind._

_"He does have a way with the ladies." Mark chuckled. When he saw the hatred and murderous glare on the green sprite's face, the small smile withered away. He gulped before easing his way out the door. "There's a nearby hotel you can stay in until you decide to leave." he said. "Just tell Webster I said you can stay free of charge."_

_"We don't need your pity." Matrix grumbled, his eyes still following the non existent sprites that had left. "Come on, Frisket." The two stormed out and headed for their lodgings. Mark sighed and also headed out._

*** 

_AndrAIa soon found her room at the Regal Arms hotel, after going through some what of an odd, if not annoying, questionnaire by the caretaker. She had such a good time with Cody and Molly, the time seemed too go by so fast. By the time she found Mark and then the hotel, it was well past the system's downtime. Feeling slightly guilty for staying out, she couldn't help but feel happy. Genuinely happy since she had been in Mainframe. Molly was an adorable child and so much fun to play with. And Cody...what a charmer! The game sprite knew he had been putting the moves on her since they met earlier, and she would admit to a little flirting, but her heart belonged to someone else._

_And when she walked into her room, that someone else was waiting for her._

_He was sitting in an arm chair, lifting a ten pound weight. He glanced up at her, then went back to his exercise. "Bout time you showed up." he muttered._

_"Sorry, your highness." she giggled. "Didn't realize I was out past curfew." She sat down across from him. "What did you do today?"_

_"Nothing."_

_"You did absolutely nothing all second?" she asked._

_"Yes, I did absolutely nothing all second." he hissed. "Unlike you, I didn't go parading around the system with some stranger who just might...be a bad influence."_

_AndrAIa looked in slight concern. "What crawled up your bitmap and deleted?" she asked. Matrix just ignored her. "Hello, I'm talking to you."_

_"Are you?" he grunted, sarcastically._

_"Maybe I'm not." she huffed, standing. "You know, you have totally changed."_

_Matrix tossed his weight in the corner and stood as well. It was times like this, he wished he was bigger and stronger. He couldn't be as intimidating as he wanted, not with AndrAIa at least an inch taller than he was. "I have to change." he stated. "I can't go around being the little weakling that got us trapped in here!"_

_AndrAIa rolled her eyes. "Not this again." she said. "That wasn't your fault! You did the best you could. **We're **doing the best **we **can." She stroked his cheek. "Besides, I don't want you to change."_

_Matrix was almost content to just stand there. He was realizing his feelings for his best friend were changing, but now wasn't the time to think about that. He shrugged her off. Right as he began to say something, the familiar foreboding voice was heard._

**_WARNING! INCOMING GAME! WARNING! INCOMING GAME!_**

_Matrix grinned as he looked at her. "Get use to it." he sneered. "That weak little boy you knew as Enzo is long gone from here on out. You're looking at Matrix...the renegade." He smiled sinisterly. "Let's get that game and get the Net out of here."_

_He turned from her and headed for the door, leaving the young game sprite confused and more than not, concerned. This new attitude her friend had adopted was now really starting to give her the jaggies. She followed him out the door and the hotel and headed for the falling game. Standing straight ahead she could see Cody already there. Hearing the small growl beside her, she knew Matrix had seen him too._

_"Nice of you to join me." he said, seeing AndrAIa approach. Nodding to Matrix, he said, "Cadet. Almost didn't even see your shiny little icon."_

_"There's no cadet here." he growled. "If anything, it's for show. Besides, I'm stuck with it."_

_"Well, let's see how good your gaming skills really are." Cody sneered. "Guardian."_

_AndrAIa sighed, watching a small, but still noticeable, grimace come to Enzo's face. They had been through this all before, but still she knew he took on most of the guilt attributed with them being there and probably for not finding Bob sooner. The game continued its falling before finally landing with a thud on the ground._

*** 

_"Well..." Cody began, looking around at their surroundings. "This is pleasant."_

_The group was surrounded in dark gray skies and clouded fog. They appeared to be in a jungle, with its heavy foliage and misty due. The ground was slightly muddy, probably from previous rains. Ahead of them just seemed to be an array of more and more trees, clouds, gray skies, and ground._

_"Okay, almighty Guardian," Cody said, turning to face him. "What're we in?"_

_Matrix glared at him for a nano, but then remembered they had a task to do. Once they finished this game, they could leave Cody behind and continue searching for Mainframe and then find Bob. That was the goal. Find Bob. Get home. FAQ Cody. Matrix removed Glitch from his belt and looked at it. "Glitch, stats." he said, barely controlling his anger. Glitch whirled and beeped and then did a drastic die out. "Well, that's it for a while." the teen muttered. Looking up at AndrAIa, he said, "Glitch is burned out. I'm surprise he's functioning for this long."_

_"Ain't that a bit dangerous, traveling around the Net with a broken keytool?" Cody smirked. Winking at the game sprite, he asked, "Not a very smart guardian, is he?"_

_Right as Matrix went to lunge for him, AndrAIa stopped him, by stepping into between the two. "Cody, this isn't the time." she hissed, looking sternly at the sprite. "We gotta figure out this game and defeat the User. Plain and simple."_

_"All right, all right." Cody replied, holding up his hands. "I'm just teasing." He rubbed her shoulder slightly. "I do that sometimes, you know."_

_"I know." she said, her eyes relaxing and the anger and annoyance drifting away. Though she clearly wanted the young green sprite that stood behind her, it was nice to be looked at in other ways besides anger and stubbornness. At this point, she was starting to realize that perhaps Enzo didn't feel the same way she did. That they were just friends in his eyes and nothing more. She smiled sweetly at the young casanova, all the while sensing the burning rage in her friend behind her._

_"So what're we up against, Matrix dude?" Cody asked._

_Matrix was still fuming, he barely heard the question. Not until AndrAIa asked it again, this time giving him a look of her own. "Something called For All Seasons." he muttered through gritted teeth. "Each level is a season that the User has to go through. Each level has sub levels to which the User's gotta find a different item in each. When he does, he gets a key so he can enter the next level." Matrix looked around. "We're in the third level, fourth sub level. Summer in the rain forest. The User has to find the key. It'll be like a hunting game almost."_

_"Us hunting the User." Cody nodded, grimly. "I don't like it."_

_"Me either." the game sprite agreed. "But what choice do we have?"_

_"None, of course." Matrix whispered. "Let's do it." Tapping their icons, the gave a unison, "REBOOT!"_

_When the glowing light receded from the trio, they looked down. Matrix was now dressed in khaki slacks and a long white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His gun, something he had hooked up to the small gold ball he now called his right eye, was still at his hip and seemed just as big and dangerous as when he had first spotted it just two hours ago. Looking over at Cody, the teen discovered he was dressed much the same way, except instead of a gun, he had a large bowie knife tucked into his boot. Matrix also couldn't help noticing the enamored, if not wolfish far away look the sprite had on his face._

_Turning towards AndrAIa, he discovered why._

_Dressed in tight and very short shorts, AndrAIa stood, looking at the knife she had been given. She was dressed much the same, just with her clothes being tighter and much smaller than the men's. Even Matrix couldn't help but gape at the sprite before him. He had always known she was the cutest girl he had ever met, but seeing her now, dressed like that, just made him realize how grown up they were becoming. Seeing her like this, with her clothes hugging tightly in just about all the right places..._

_It was the same kind of shock he had when Dot had sung for him in that red ball gown._

_But this was more. Dot was his sister, for User's sake! But AndrAIa wasn't. She was a girl, just like he was a boy and the two had been together and flirty since her arrival in Mainframe. But that had been Mainframe. There was no one to interfere with a budding friendship. It wasn't until they got lost in the games that Matrix started noticing AndrAIa in more ways than a friend. He was also noticing other sprites noticing her too._

_Kind of like now._

_Cody couldn't hold back his wolfish whistle as he again gave the game sprite the once over. "Wow." he said in approval. She just looked up at him, a teasing gleam in her eyes. "If I am ever stuck in a game, promise me, you'll be there wearing this." She just giggled and sent the same flirtatious look towards Enzo. His face was one of contradictions. On one hand, he was mesmerized by her sheer beauty, especially in a get up like that! But on the other hand, he had a look to delete, sending poison laded daggers at Cody._

_"The User, remember?" he growled, stomping off ahead, pushing between the two._

_"Enzo!"_

_"Hey, if he wants to be our tour guide, let him." Cody replied, draping an arm around the teenager's shoulder. "That gives me more time to know about you."_

_AndrAIa looked at him, before shrugging his arm off and heading after Matrix._

_Matrix stormed up ahead, wanting to get as far away from that...show of affection as he could. Any feelings he may...might...have for his best friend were now gone. What did he expect? Of course she'd hang out with him in Mainframe. Who else was there to hang out with?? She needed to be around other sprites. He had one goal and that was to find Bob and get home. Okay, so two goals, but very much linked together. She could stay here with Cody if she wanted. She didn't..._

_"Will you slow down?" came an exclamation._

_Matrix stopped suddenly and felt the soft touch of her hand on his arm. "What has gotten into you?" she asked, keeping her voice low as not to let Cody hear. Matrix shook her hand off. AndrAIa was getting just a tad bit tired of this and would've said something if Cody had not come up to them._

_"You took off right quick, little man." he said, huffing slightly from lack of air. "Saw the User, did you?"_

_"You'll be seeing the higher User if you don't..."_

_Cody put his hands up in defense. "Calm down, cadet." he replied. "No need to get your little...unregulation uniform in a twist."_

_"Cody, stop." AndrAIa begged, seeing the anger starting to take over._

_"DrAIa, listen to me." Cody began, walking around to get another view of her outfit. "I think, and this is my opinion, you'd have more fun with me than with your current boyfriend."_

_"He's not my boyfriend." she whispered._

_"Well, see there?" Cody said. "Look, I'm just saying a beautiful, attractive girl like yourself shouldn't be treated the way your...friend treats you."_

_"What're you saying?" Matrix growled._

_As the trio argued, a shadowy figure was starting to creep up behind them. He looked very out of place, dressed in jean shorts and a yellow t-shirt. He had a small knife in his back pocket, but could see the smaller of the three had a gun. He'd have to be quick if he wanted that key. He only had one knife. If he used it on the little guy with the gun, he'd be able to escape with no or at least some minor injuries. Pulling the knife from his pocket, he started to aim for the little guy..._

_"I'm saying that for someone who protects her like the plague, you're not a very good friend." Cody continued._

_Matrix, still fuming from the words, ignored AndrAIa's pleas for him to calm down. He pulled his gun and started aiming for Cody. He wasn't going to hurt him, just scare him. Make him see that he was serious about keeping AndrAIa safe. That's when he noticed the User in the background. Realizing he was about ready to delete them, he raised the gun._

_Unfortunately, communication within the small group didn't reach to everyone. As he moved the gun, Cody jumped in and started to struggle with him, AndrAIa also trying to get the gun away. She had seen the User as well as was trying to get the gun from Cody. In the struggle, the gun went off twice, one hitting the fleeing User as he ran past them. He had been shot in the shoulder, but was able to flee past them._

_"Enzo, what've you done?"_

_Enzo Matrix just stared at the slowly deleting sprite that lay before him. A smoking gun still in his hand, Enzo's look of hatred had_   
_quickly been replaced with one of horror and fear. He hadn't meant to delete the guy. He was in the way. The User was coming and all he could think about was making passes and lewd comments at AndrAIa. The worst part, the really bad part was...Enzo wanted to shoot him. Wanted to shut him up, wanted him to stop looking at AndrAIa like she was on the market or something._

_Wasn't she?_

_They certainly weren't a couple, though Enzo was now constantly struggling with feelings inside that suggested other wise. He and_   
_AndrAIa had always been close, but now as they wandered from game to game, from system to system, she was becoming more than a_   
_friend. More than someone he could talk to. They were growing up and with that, she was growing more beautiful every second. It was one_   
_thing for him to notice ~he actually thought he might be falling for her~ but when other sprites, especially boys and men, started taking_   
_notice, he would lose it._

_"Come on, Enzo." she said, taking his arm and pulling him away. "We...we have to forget about him for now and get the User."_

_Even AndrAIa had been shocked. The game sprite who had known deletion and death from her time in her own game, but she just couldn't believe Enzo, her Enzo, had just taken someone's life. He had changed so much since that fateful game had spirited them away from his friends, family, and home. He wasn't the same Enzo she had fallen in love with. He was changing, drastically, but even she didn't think he could be capable of..._

_Murder._

"That game left, with them sprites in it, and poor Cody didn't even come back." Neddles shook his head. "Cody was a good boy. A good kid." 

"Thank you, Mr. Neddles." Peters replied, heading back to his seat. "No further questioning." 

"Do you wish to cross-examine, Mr. Lan?" Riley asked, in a bored tone. 

"Not at this time, sir." Kit replied, ignoring the looks and protests from his defendants. "But defense would like to keep the option open." 

Riley blew out a sigh and rolled his eyes. "The defense is granted the request." Turbo replied, sending a look towards Riley. "Call your next witness, Mr. Peters." 

The next few witnesses were also residents of Dellpac and also spoke of the murder of Cody Richson, all pointed the finger at the sprite who probably did it. Matrix. But as Kit sat there, he knew it was their word against his. The only person who could really account for Matrix's innocence was AndrAIa, who had been there with the two in the game. Kit would need to call her to the stand in order to clear this up. But for now, he had to concentrate on the witnesses Peters was pulling out of his book. 

The last witness from Dellpac stepped down and quickly hurried past the defense table. "Now that I've established one murderer, I'd like to call some witnesses from Mainframe." 

"Objection, your honor." Kit replied. "What does calling my witnesses have to do...?" 

"Not your witnesses." Peters huffed. "These are the people that were there...when the very leaders of Mainframe let them down. When the Matrixes...took over Mainframe."   



	3. Chapter Two: The Viral Takeover

**Viral Legacy**   


**Chapter Two: The Viral Takeover**

  
  
  
  


"I call Alexander Gain to the stand." 

The virus known as Alexander Gain stood from his hidden place in the courtroom and started down the walkway, a bit slower than his former prime had allowed. All eyes from the defense were on him. Sabrina and Chip had to be physically restrained from wanting to attack him, while the Lans seethe and held their own control. Gain smirked as he made his way to the small chair. 

Stretching his legs and smoothing out his suit, Gain waited for the prosecution to begin questioning. 

"State your name and function for the court." Peters said. 

"Alexander Gain, former virus." he replied, listening and watching as spectators aaahed and ooohed. Riley banged his gavel against his desk for some order. Soon, the court was quiet again. 

"Mr. Gain, have you ever been to a small system called Mainframe?" 

"Yes, I was there a few hours ago for a small vacation." Gain replied. 

"Liar." Sabrina muttered, her brother nodding in agreement. 

"Mr. Gain, tell us what happened on your last second in Mainframe." 

Gain shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I'll admit that I was...rather rude in my treatment of some of the residents..." he started and heard sneers and comments from the Mainframe staff. 

Riley banged his gavel. "I'll expect you to keep your table quiet during questioning, counselor." he said, glaring at Kit. 

"Anyway," Gain continued. "For my punishment, I was about to be jailed and taken into custody. Only...my capturers had other plans..." 

_"We'll take him from here, Hex." Matrix growled, grabbing Gain and shoving him towards Enzo and Sabrina, who took a firm hold on his arms. "Thanks for your help."_

_Hex regarded him with a smirk. "It was my pleasure, renegade." she said. "Remember, don't call me. I'll find you." With a loud cackle, she disappeared._

_"Come on." Matrix said, walking away, Gain being pulled behind him._

_They walked through the quiet streets, Matrix looking around for anyone that could see them. Finally, they reached a long, dark alleyway. The renegade stopped, allowing enough room for the trio and Gain to get through. Chip stood looking out into the darkened street. "You know what to do?" Matrix asked, his eyes also focused on the dark system._

_"I have a pretty good idea." Chip replied, looking up at his father. The boy watched as Matrix turned and walked into the alley, sounds of a muffled struggle coming to his ears. "Hey Dad!" he called, seeing the signs of the struggle taking place. "You will save some for me, won't you?"_

_"Stand guard, Junior." Matrix said, heading for the handcuffed virus._

_Matrix stood before the virus, an evil smile on his face. It was a rare one indeed. Before his return to Mainframe, a smiling Matrix meant an angry Matrix. But now, as everything they had gone through went coursing through his head, the evil smiles he had before came back. Gain struggled against his restraints. It was bad enough to have his hands tied, but being held by Kit, Sabrina, and Enzo wasn't helping situations any either._

_"Well, well, well." Matrix said. "Looks like there's no way for you to run now, is there?"_

_Matrix delivered a hard right to the virus' stomach, causing him to bowl over. The trio that held him just popped him back up. "You're gonna pay, little man." Matrix growled, hitting him again. Matrix started to beat the virus while the trio held him in place. Gain, trying to fight back, went to kick the renegade, but the large sprite easily caught his leg in his own massive arm. "You're not gonna get out that quickly." he sneered. He then brought down his elbow hard on the leg, fracturing it at best. Kit held his mouth as the virus cried in pain._

_Matrix stood, glaring at the sprite sinking to the ground. "Get him." he ordered._

_Enzo, Kit, and Sabrina wasted no time in beating the living data bits out of the virus. Not wanting to just stand around, Matrix too got more of his licks in. There was nothing Gain could do. There was no way he could stop this beating, he was powerless, thanks to his time in Hex's lair. But even as they beat him senseless, he'd get back at them. He already had a plan in motion._

_Afterwards, they brought him to the front of the alley, mostly dragging him all the way. Chip stopped them and glared at the virus. "I told you I'd get you." he sneered, then delivering a well placed kick to bring the virus to his knees and right smack at eye level with Chip._

_"Get him, Chip." Sabrina egged on._

_Chip hit him with a right and then a left and a series of rights until he started to lose control and began his own beating on the virus. Matrix lifted the boy out of contact and tried to calm him. "Cool it, cool it." he whispered. "You're gonna get everyone in this area running out their doors." Looking around once again, he continued. "Come on, let's get him to the P.O."_

_"What happens if someone asks what happened?" Kit asked._

_Matrix looked at the bloodied Gain and shrugged. "He fell." he said, finally._

"You fell." Peter repeated, looking over at the defense. "And what was the explanation Mr. Matrix gave his sister or even the guardian of the system when they saw you?" 

"They didn't." Gain spat. "See me, that is. But Mr. Matrix told the guard on duty that I had tried to escape while zipping over there. I jumped from the board, which explained the fracture in my leg and the scrapes. To explain the beating I took, he said I was wild and had to be subdued." 

"Really." 

Gain nodded. 

"Mr. Gain will you please tell the council and the court who those assailants were." Peters said. 

"Both Enzo Matrixes, Sabrina Matrix, Chip Matrix, and the defense counsel, Kit Lan." Gain replied with a smirk. 

"No further questioning." 

"Your witness." Riley said, a look of disgust in his eyes. 

"No questions at this time, sir." Kit began, looking sternly at the witness. "But defense holds the right to recall him. As a hostile witness." 

"So be it." one of the council women said. "You are free to return to your seat, Mr. Gain." 

Gain stood from his seat and started to walk back, with a noticeable limp as he walked past defense. Kit had to do everything in his power not to explode at the virus. If their credibility had been shaky before, his testimony of the beating in the alley only darkened it. 

"I think a recess is in order." Turbo replied, seeing the faces at defense. "We'll regroup in two milliseconds." 

*** 

The family were able to find a large chamber room in which they could talk and right now, there was a lot of talking. 

"Know what I think?" Chip asked, his voice eerily hushed. "I think this a conspiracy." 

"Against who or what?" asked Danielle Avery, Kit's fiancee. 

"Against us!" Chip exclaimed. "Who else? I mean, come on! Don't you think it's just a tad bit odd that we're being hauled into court!?" 

"He's got a point." Phoenix 'Nikki' Lan replied. 

"I just need to know what that binome said wasn't...something he just made up." Kit whispered, looking around him. He wanted to keep this quiet. 

"Kit, how else can I tell you this?" AndrAIa sighed. "Matrix...Matrix and I did a lot things while game hopping. Who's to say there isn't someone out in that room that goes against me!" 

"AndrAIa, what're you saying?" Kit pressed. 

"I'm saying..." she started, then gulped. "I'm saying we did what we had to. And that's all I'm going to say." 

"How could you do this!?" Dot exclaimed, cutting above everyone else's conversations. 

She was currently yelling at some of the participants in that now widely know assault on Alexander Gain. 

"Right now, I think we, meaning you and I, have more pressing matters than just putting me on the stand." AndrAIa said, looking sternly at her nephew. 

"He deserved it!" Matrix defended. "And don't you dare stand there and say you don't think he did." 

"It doesn't matter if we wanted it done or not." Bob stressed, earning a look from Dot. 

"Bob!" 

Bob opened his mouth, realizing the mistake. "What I mean is...it doesn't matter how any of us felt on the subject." he continued. "You didn't have the right to just go beat him. That's assault, whether you're in Mainframe or not." 

"Well, this isn't Mainframe." Enzo said. "And that happened a while ago. Statue of limitation has already run out." 

"Yeah." Sabrina added. "If he wants to do something, he's out of luck." 

"Kinda like you, Bri?" Bob asked, sarcastically. "Have you forgotten you were a guardian cadet at that time? I can easily strip you of your rank." 

"You wouldn't do that!" Roscoe exclaimed. 

"Whoa, hold it! Hold it!" Kit exclaimed, bringing order to the room. "Look, we can settle this all later, all right? First things first, what other surprises has our prosecutor got up his sleeve?" 

"You tell us, counselor." Chip replied. 

"Well..." Kit sighed. "Not an easy answer. We're looking at a lot of stuff right now." 

"Yeah." Matrix grumbled. "Most of which you aren't combating out there." 

"Hey, you think you can do a better job?" Kit retorted. 

"Stop it!" Nikki cried. "Now is not the time! We're sinking and sinking fast out there. Before the second's over, we're gonna be the most hated family in the Net. Now somebody, anybody, come up with a good idea to get us out of this mess!" 

"There's only one thing to do." Jet spoke up. "On defense's turn, we all take the stand. We have to say something in our defense. And we gotta get evidence against everyone who's gone up for the prosecution, especially Alexander Gain." 

"He's right." Kit said, slightly calmer. "You guys do your thing, Jet and I will do ours. Above all, keep your spammed stories straight. The last thing we need is contradiction on our side." 

"Oh, but decention is dandy." Sabrina replied, sarcastically. 

"Enough." Jet supplied. "Look we've only used thirty mircos, so we got plenty of time to work and eat, so let's do it." 

Everyone agreed to their tasks with no further words. As Kit started to walk away, Dot caught his arm. Waiting for all but Bob to leave, she looked at him, almost on the verge of tears. "How could you?" she asked. Kit looked at her, then at his father, both showing the same signs of disappointment on their faces. "You lied to us, Christopher." she continued. 

"Mom, I..." he started but stopped. He couldn't do this right now. "I'm sorry." he said, before walking from them and through the door. 

Out in the hall, Roscoe was trying his best to calm his girlfriend down. Even he couldn't really believe Prime Guardian Lan, more over her uncle, would even suggest that she be discharged from the Academy. But even Roscoe had some questions he wanted answered. Sabrina stopped suddenly, causing Ross to run into her. 

"Well, that's a fine kettle of nulls we're in, isn't it?" she asked, a bitterness in her voice. 

"No bigger than the other kettle of nulls we're been in, right?" 

Sabrina turned to look at him. "Roscoe," she said. "We're in a trial for our lives here, man. This isn't so little anymore." 

Ross sighed. "Do you really think he'd do it?" he asked. "Discharge you from the Academy?" 

"For his sake, he had better not." Sabrina spat. 

"Bri..." 

"He's right, though." she whispered. "I should've known better and I should've stopped it. Some guardian I am. I can't even stop a fight I was involved in." 

"Babe, given everything that he did, what choice did you have?" Roscoe asked. 

"I could've let it go!" she cried. "I could've turned him over." 

Roscoe placed his hands on her shoulders and looked down at her face. Even after the hours they had been dating, he still found himself falling in love with her all over again. "After what he did to you," he whispered. "I wouldn't have hesitated to delete him myself." 

She buried her head in his chest as his arms went around her. "I made a big mistake, Ross." came the muffled response. "Uncle Bob's right. He can't play favorites here. I was a cadet and participated in an aggravated assault." 

"But sweetie, he attacked you first." Roscoe pointed out. 

"Ross..." 

"Listen to me." he said. "He attacked you and your family first. Even a second time. If you really look at it, it was self defense. It's a stretch, but it might keep you teaching at the Academy and keep you with me." 

Sabrina sighed. It was a stretch, but one she'd more than likely try. She snuggled closer, his sweet smells filling her nostrils. "Mmmm..." she sighed. "You smell good. You must've used that soap I gave you for your last upgrade." 

"Uh huh." Ross murmured. Leaning closer to her, he whispered, "Though, it's only fun when you put it on me." 

Sabrina backspaced, giggling and looking around. "Roscoe!" she giggled, trying to sound shocked and not doing a very good job. "What if my parents are around? They don't exactly know about us." 

"Yes, they do." he replied, some what confused. "They've known since we met." 

"Not 'us' us." she said, rolling her eyes. "_Us_. And our..._activities_." 

"Oh!" he said, a grin coming to his face. "Extracurricular activities." 

"I'm sure Mom wouldn't care." Sabrina thought. "Knowing her, she probably knows. Now, Dad on the other hand..." 

"He'd delete me for sure." Ross finished. 

"More like skin you alive a thousand times over." she giggled. 

"Thanks, babe." he replied, sarcastically. 

"Well, you know my dad." she said, still giggling slightly. "He's like that." 

"So I've heard." he said under his breath. The comment, though, was not lost on his girlfriend. 

"What do you mean by that?" Sabrina asked, her playful mood replaced with one of suspicion. 

"Well..." he stammered. "The...trial...and the...binome guy said..." 

"You think my father's a murderer?" she asked, advancing on him. 

"What?" he squeaked. "No! Bri, I'm just saying..." 

"How about not saying anything for a while." she said. "To me or anyone else." She stormed off, with Ross looking hurt and feeling incredibly basic. 

*** 

"Order, order." 

The court reassembled later in the second to finish the first second of testimony and witnesses for the prosecution, who bragged that he had enough witnesses to put the whole Matrix family and subsequent heirs in holding cells for the rest of their lives. As he had stated earlier, Peters called the first of his Mainframe witnesses in order to show the part the Matrixes had in a third viral rule on the small system. 

"I call Ms. Emma Brodie to the stand." 

The small binome woman strolled through the walkway, stopping long enough to send short, but heartfelt sorrys to the members of the family. She took her place in the witness chair. Peters walked over to her, smiling slightly. "Ms. Brodie, tell the council of your relationship with the defendants." 

"Well, I'm the teacher at the Little Bits Elementary School in Mainframe." she began, smiling over at the staff. "I've had just about all of them in my class at one time or another." 

Peters scowled at the fondness the binome had for the opposing team. He cleared his throat, causing the small binome to look up. "A few hours ago, there was a viral take over of your system, was there not?" 

"Well..." she started. "In a way, yes, but..." 

"Tell us what happened, Ms. Brodie." Peters pressed, not wanting to hear or let the council hear, any sympathetic details of the case. "Straight and simple, please." 

Brodie glared at the sprite, taking it upon herself **not **to like him, even after the trial was over. "It really all started after that Gain fellow left." she said. "After everything that family had been through, you'd think it was enough, but no. Somewhere, the User just brings more and more trouble into their lives." Peters rolled his eyes. "I will thank you to pay attention when I'm talking, young man." she berated the prosecutor. "You're actions are becoming very rude." 

Kit smiled and said, "Objection, your honor. Prosecution is being rude." 

"Even I saw that, Peters." Turbo growled. "Let the woman talk or we'll find another prosecutor for this case and future cases." 

Peters cleared his throat again and mumbled an apology to the binome. "You had been saying?" 

"Before I was rudely interrupted," Brodie replied. "After that Gain fellow left, and I don't blame those children one bit for what they did to him, mind you. But after he left, things seemed to be fine. But...there was soon a change for the worst in the Matrix boys..." 

_With the departure, and some what questionable means by those handling him, Alexander Gain was then and forever more banned from entering the system of Mainframe. To the virus, it didn't matter. He'd get his revenge soon enough. In fact, he figured in the alley that his time would be coming soon._

_As for the rest of Mainframe, things seemed to be going smoothly, for a time. Kit and Sabrina returned to the Super Computer, the twins and Chip returned to school once again, and the Mainframe staff went back to work, monitoring the system, watching for games, anything to get back to where they had been before the excitement. Mouse and Ray returned for a brief period and it was actually Mouse who had seen the change that seemed to take place within two members of staff._

_Now no one would say that the Matrix brothers weren't tough. With everything the boys had been through ~games, Megabyte, Daemon~ they both had a tough exterior, but that was just a Matrix family thing. Inside, the two were sweet and lovable. And they certainly had the distinction of being the brothers of destruction, two of the bad ASCIIs of Mainframe and after the ever so quiet beating they had given Gain in the alleyway, they seemed to be in one of those moods, that would usually pass after a few seconds._

_So when Mouse and Ray returned, the hacker especially found it odd that both boys seemed to be...well, way overconfident than they usually were. And a lot quicker to start something when someone thought they were wrong or worse, proved they were. It was odd to say the least, but everyone figured it was just carry over from Gain's stay. Chip was still acting bodyguard to his cousins to and from school and Jet was actively working on developing his powers more._

_The whole trouble had actually started when Ray had been cornered by the two on his way to the Diner. Normally the surfer expected Matrix to stop him, but things between them had settled down over the hours or so he thought. He was flying towards the Diner, when he noticed Matrix and Enzo in the alley just before the establishment. He decided to head down and see what they were doing._

_Mistake number one._

_It wasn't until Ray touched down and stepped off of Baud that he realized they had been waiting for him. "Hiya Mates." the surfer replied, cheerfully. "Getting a byte to eat?"_

_"Yeah, in a nano." Matrix responded, giving the charming surfer a smile, something Ray rarely saw being given to him unless..._

_"Ray, you mind stepping into our office for a bit?" Enzo asked, the same kind of...sinister, was the word Ray came up with, smile that his brother had._

_"Um..." he started. "What did I do?"_

_"Nothing." Matrix chuckled, grabbing the surfer around his shoulders. "Now, come here. Step into our office." The renegade lead Ray half way into the alley, with Enzo right behind them. They stopped and Matrix pushed Ray against the wall. "It's nice to have you back." he said, grinning. "We were starting to think we'd never see you again."_

_"Aw nah, mate." Ray said, nervous laughter coming from his lips. "Mouse and I just got a little hung up helping out this system and..."_

_"Yeah, that's all nice and good." Enzo interrupted. "That's not why you're in here."_

_"We wanted to show you something, actually." Matrix said, coming face to face with the now scared surfer. "It might not have been this exact alleyway, but just know we beat the living data bits out of a sprite just like you not too long ago."_

_Enzo was right in Ray's ear as he said, "Watch your step, Ray. Don't do anything...basic...anything that'll cause us to want to hurt you."_

_Ray laughed, more out of nervousness than the situation being funny. "But your brother's always wanting to do that." Ray looked between the two and seemed the joke was lost on them. Suddenly, Matrix chuckled and slapped Ray, a friendly gesture, but a little too hard for the surfer's tastes._

_"You're a good guy, Ray." Matrix said. "Charming, intelligent...such a pretty face." He stepped back. "Don't let anything happen to it."_

_"Be seein' you." Enzo said, before the two went on their merry way, leaving Ray to gulp at the encounter._

"I couldn't tell you exactly what was going on, but it was bad." Brodie continued. "And then the worst of it..." she shook her head, not wanting to tell the tale that all of Mainframe knew. 

"What happened?" Peters asked. 

"I..." she started and then added quickly, "I don't remember." 

"Ms. Brodie," Riley said. "You are a witness in a crimes against the Net trial. If you have information that could potentially put villains like the ones on trial..." 

"They are not villains!" Brodie exclaimed. "They are fine, decent, and upstanding..." 

"Mr. Riley, I'd like to change Ms. Brodie status as a hostile witness." Peters replied, glaring at the small binome. 

"Objection!" Kit cried. "You just can't go around changing witnesses like that!" 

"Over ruled!" Riley boomed. "We are going to get to the bottom of this, Mr. Lan, I assure you." He then looked at Brodie and demanded, "Answer the question before you." 

Brodie was not intimidated by the two. She cleared her throat and with a final look towards the defense, specifically Matrix and Enzo, she started. "It all started after a game." she said. "Perhaps maybe inside of it, I don't know, but the boys didn't seem to be in good spirits..." 

**_GAME OVER!_**

_The purple cube lifted back into the sky where it had come from, leaving three sprites standing on the line separating Baudway from G-Prime. It had been a while since Bob had been in a game. The guardian had left that up to the other three guardians and AndrAIa, or even Sabrina and Kit when they were in the system. It had been fun, or at least he thought so. The other two players apparently did not share his feelings._

_Matrix and Enzo just stood, glaring at Bob as he went on about how that game had brought back memories. He had played it, one of the first he had, while at the Academy. It had been fun, almost like reliving his youth in some ways. The two brothers, on the other hand, were not amused. They had been given orders and had done most of the dirty work, while Bob sat and dictated where they should go and what they should do._

_At least in their minds, anyway. Only the three of them would know for sure._

_"Hey, let's get a shake at the Diner and see if the kids are home yet." Bob replied, turning to face the two. "We can do something afterwards. How about it?"_

_Just looking at them, Bob could there was something terribly wrong. Both approached him, Matrix going around behind him. "Sure, Bob." Enzo replied, rather sarcastically. "Let's do everything** you **want to do." Bob gulped slightly, feeling like he was being swarmed by vultures._

_"Was...was there something you guys wanted to do?" he asked._

_"What does it matter, Bob?" asked Matrix._

_"Look," Bob said, trying to regain some control in the situation. "I think this is more than just what to do, yeah? Are you guys mad at me for some reason?"_

_"You could say that." Enzo said, shoving the blue sprite._

_"Hey, watch it." Bob replied._

_"You can't order us around anymore, Bobby." Matrix sneered, pushing Bob from behind._

_"All right, that's it." Bob said. "The two of you better have a good explanation by the time I..."_

_"By the time you what?" Matrix asked, stepping up to Bob. The blue guardian back spaced a bit, sometimes forgetting how big Matrix was and how small he was compared to him. He saw Enzo rounding behind him from the corner of his eye._

_"Look Enzo," he whispered, wanting to calm the renegade down. "I don't want to fight with you."_

_"Scared, Bob?" Enzo said in his ear. Bob gulped._

_Suddenly, he didn't like his odds._

_"Listen, if I upset the two of you, I'm sorry, okay?" Bob managed to ease his way from between them and headed for Baudway._

_Matrix and Enzo looked at each other. They weren't finished quite yet. The two stormed after Bob and caught up to him as he reached the side of the Diner. Enzo jumped in front of his, blocking his path, while Matrix waited from him to turn around. Bob did, some how knowing Matrix was the leader in this. "Matrix, I thought apologized for..."_

_"You don't get off that easily, guardian." the renegade snarled._

_Bob looked at this sprite, someone he had known since he was smaller, someone who his brother by law, his son by basic right...this was not the same sprite. As Matrix stared him down, Bob thought he got a glimpse of something else in his eyes. Where one eye was violet, it seemed to turn green with the renegade's surge of anger. Bob was surprised, if not confused and in some denial. Matrix couldn't be...could he? Bob wasn't so lost in his thoughts that he didn't see Matrix's fist coming his way. He ducked and heard the punch land somewhere else._

_At someone else._

_Bob turned around quickly, forgetting Enzo had been right behind him. When he had ducked out of the way, Matrix's punch had found its way into Enzo's nose. The sprite was now looking at some of the energy that was leaking from his nose and turned a hatred glare on Bob. "Now, now Enzo..." Bob stammered, seeing the same deadly glaze Matrix had on his face reflected in his brother's. It really was like looking into a double sided mirror. "It was an accident..."_

_Suddenly Bob lurched forward and then back, as Enzo's punch landed on its mark. "How's that for an accident?" the green sprite sneered. Bob knew he wouldn't able to reason with them, not now. If he could buy some time, maybe they'd calm down. He elbowed Matrix in the gut and sent a real punch flying at Enzo. Then he took off running. By the time he got in front of the huge window of the Diner, he was tackled by Enzo. A blast of energy sent the boy flying into his brother and both men went down._

_That only made them madder._

_From inside the Diner, binomes and sprites were sitting around, having lunch when someone noticed Bob outside. Cecil, the head waiter at the Diner, snubbed his Mac nose at the prospect that Bob would be walking in. Yes he knew the guardian was the owner's husband, but why would an upstanding woman like Dot Matrix find so appealing in that...that...sprite! But as the action took place outside, everyone, including Cecil, was starting to see something was very wrong._

_At first it seemed like the three were just fooling around, like boys often do. But when the brothers came charging at the Guardian and seemed to be...dare they think it? Beating him up? Then, they knew something was amiss. Worst yet, who would happen to be in the Diner at that very moment, trying to entertain some of the smaller binomes, then Mike the TV..._

*** 

_"Hey Dot, Sugah, we seem to be having some activity over by the Diner."_

_Mouse and AndrAIa sat looking at various activity in Mainframe, mostly for tears or any other anomaly. AndrAIa thought she'd give an update to Matrix on the CPU reports when the two found that some of the CPUs were being dispatched to the Diner. Alexandria Hewlett, the newest Mainframe staff member talked to the game sprite and said she'd head over there to see what the problem was._

_"Seems a fight broke out in front of the Diner." she had said. "Probably nothing too major."_

_"Dot," Phong said, pulling up next to the commander. "I think you may want to see this." Phong patched the vidwindow he had been watching through so the image would come up for all to see._

_"This is Mike the TV, reporting to you live at the scene of...well something I can only say is the...saddest and yet, most violent display of anything I've ever seen." Behind the small, noises of a scuffle could be heard. It wasn't until he moved for the cameras and all of Mainframe to see, that the staff inside the Principal Office was also shocked._

_"What in the Net?" Dot exclaimed, as she watched the action unfold._

_There, onscreen and plain as anyone could see, were her brothers beating on her husband._

_"This was the scene earlier today as The Matrix brothers took on Guardian Bob." Mike said. Another screen popped up to show some earlier scenes of the fight. In one, Bob had gotten the upper hand by using his powers to send Matrix into a variety of banner ads. But in the next shot, Bob was being thrown into the side of the wall, with Enzo delivering shoulder block after shoulder block into Bob's midsection and slamming his back against the hard side._

_"The fight is still going on, as you can see." Mike's voice replied, as the camera showed Enzo holding Bob by the arms while Matrix beat the stuffing out of him. "Hopefully someone will come and...oh yes!" he cried, as sirens went up. Two CPU cars and a sprite on a zipboard soon surrounded the trio. "It looks like the CPUs and our newest guardian, Alex Hewlett, have come to the rescue. And...yes. It looks like an arrest is underway."_

_Mike's body popped back into screen. "So what happened here? What's going on with the brothers Matrix? And how will our command.com, Dot Matrix react when she sees this news broadcast."_

_"Not very well." AndrAIa muttered under her breath._

_"And what of the rest of the staff?" Mike asked. "We'll bring you more on this new development, Matrix...gone random? Or Bob's Blue Boy beating? I'm Mike the smashing TV and join me on the next Mike Show. Brought to you by..."_

_"I wonder what made those two snap like that." Mouse pondered._

_"I do not know." Phong replied. He turned and gazed at Dot, her face barely able to control the anger. Her green features were slowly turning red. "But I can guarantee an answer will be forth coming."_

_A vidwindow popped up and showed the commander of the CPUs. He was trying to be professional, but having to haul in your boss and then report to his boss that he was in custody, well..."Sir, ma'am," he started. "The...um...we've broken up that fight in front of the Diner and um...brought in the..."_

_"Have the two brought to my office immediately, Captain." Dot said, barely controlling her rage._

_"Yes, Sir ma'am." he gulped. "Uh...about your..."_

_"Make sure Bob is taken to the medical unit and do not have him released until he has an absolute clean bill of health, is that understood?"_

_"Yes." the binome squeaked. He cleared his throat and repeated, "Yes, Ms. Matrix." He closed the vidwindow and promptly sighed. He hated dealing with anyone on the staff when they got angry. And Ms. Matrix looked like she was on the verge of deleting someone herself._

"So you're saying that the co-defendants, the Matrix brothers, attacked the Prime Guardian for no apparent reason?" Peters asked. 

"Well, this was before Bob was..." 

"Just answer the question." 

Ms. Brodie sighed. "Yes." 

"What happened next, Ms. Brodie?" asked Peters. 

"Well..." she began. "Things just...they just went from bad to worse..." 

_"Are you sure you're all right, Hon?"_

_Bob, though looking worse for wear, seemed to be all right after his encounter with the Matrix boys. His eye was swollen and puffy, his lip was split and his back ached terribly, but overall, he was okay. Especially when they could've done much more damage. "Really, girls." he said, with a grin. "I'm fine."_

_"Bob, what happened?" Dot asked, looking up at her husband. She just couldn't understand how her brothers could've done that. To Bob of all people!_

_"I...I don't know." Bob admitted. "They just...snapped on me."_

_"Was it the game?" Alex asked. Bob shrugged._

_"I thought the game went great." he said. "Apparently, they didn't think so, but even still." He sighed and got quiet for a nano. "There's something else going on." he whispered, so only the small group could hear. "I don't know what, but I know Matrix and Enzo would never do this. Ever. Not even if they were mad at me. Not this."_

_"Well, I want them in my office when they get here." Dot replied._

_"Speak of the devil." Alex muttered._

_The CPU commander and a sergeant escorted the brothers into the command room. The two seemed to be in a good mood, considering they just beat up their brother in law and had been arrested and were now about to face the wrath of their older sister. "Here they are, Ms. Matrix." replied the Captain. "As you requested."_

_"Thank you." Dot said. To her brothers, she said, "In my office. Now!"_

_"Sure, Dot." Matrix replied, smiling at his sister. He lead the way, with her storming behind him._

_"Hey Bob." Enzo replied, standing next to the guardian. "You don't look so good. You look like you had the shit beat of you." The young sprite laughed as he followed his siblings._

_"Bob, I will agree with you." Alex said. "That is not Enzo Matrix."_

_"Then who is it?" AndrAIa asked. Alex looked at her. "Hey, I'm with you on this!" she defended. "Those two are not themselves."_

_"And if they're not themselves, then who are they?" Mouse asked._

_"Girls, I saw something that..." Bob started._

_"That?" AndrAIa pressed._

_"Not here." Bob whispered. "And certainly not around Dot. She's the last person I want to tell this to."_

_Meanwhile, Dot already had enough on her processor, trying to figure out what prompted her brothers to do such an act on their own brother. She was with Bob on this. Enzo and Matrix would never do something like this, so what was it then? Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse then they were..._

_They did._

_As she walked into her office, she grabbed from behind. A large hand covered her mouth and a large green arm kept a strong hold around her waist. All in all, Matrix would have a lot of explaining to do. Enzo came in soon afterwards and made sure the door was sealed tight and locked._

_"Dot, calm down." he said, smiling sweetly at her. "You don't really think we're going to hurt you, do you?"_

_"Now, that's just plain rude." Matrix whispered in her ear. "That hurts me, you know."_

_Dot said some choice words, which were muffled under her brother's hand._

_"You're really in no position to be making threats, sister dear." Enzo replied, rather harshly._

_Dot was about to say some more, when she noticed the slightest hint of a green tinge in her brother's eyes. Viral green. Suddenly Dot's eyes went wide when realization came to her. That would explain their recent behavior, the attack on Bob...they were infected. But by whom? And when? While Dot pondered these questions, Enzo took the icon that was placed on her chest. When she started to protest, he said, "Relax."_

_He began examining the icon, handling it with care before looking at his siblings, Dot in particular._

_"This won't hurt." he said. "Promise."_   



	4. Chapter Three: Control, Alt, Delete

**Viral Legacy**   


**Chapter Three: Control, Alt, Delete**   
  
  
Dot sat on one of the small benches outside of the main council hall. The council, as well as the trial, had adjourned for the second, but it only meant more seconds and perhaps up to a cycle of testimony. And they were only on the prosecution's witnesses. Dot rubbed her forehead, the signs of a large headache coming on. She had listened to Mainframer after Mainframer go to the witness stand and tell of a time she would much rather forget. 

Letting out a sigh, she saw Bob coming towards her and smiled a little. If there was one thing she got from this trial, it was Bob's unwavering support. The blue guardian took the space his wife made for him and leaned back against the wall. The others were in their own little clicks, debating on what to do now. Kit and Jet both looked tired from the whole trial, their usual easy going manner replaced by one of frustration and hopelessness. Bob shook his head slightly. 

It was only the first second of the trial and already his sons were feeling the pressure. It would be made worse by what he wanted to tell Dot. 

"How ya holding up?" he asked quietly. 

Dot sighed again, closing her eyes. "Like the weight of the Net has just been handed to me on a trash can lid." she replied. 

"That good of a mood, huh?" Bob joked. Turning serious, he looked around to make sure only she could hear him. "I hate to be insensitive, darling, but our fellow Mainframers are feeling a lot of guilt right now." 

She opened her eyes to look at him in concern. 

"Everyone that's testified feel as though they're betraying you, like they shouldn't have said what they said." 

Dot turned from him and whispered, "They shouldn't have." 

Bob looked at her, a growing anger rising within him. "So our mighty leader would have her own citizens perjure themselves, just so..." 

"No!" she exclaimed, a little louder than she would've liked. Matrix, Enzo, and the twins couldn't help but look over towards her. "No." she whispered. "I just...I just wish this would end, Bob. We get out of one scrape and we're thrust into another. Call me selfish if I just wanna concentrate on me and my family,_ our_ family." 

Bob sighed and rubbed his face. "Baby, right now, we can't afford that." he said. "At least right now. The system's gotta come first, you know that, I know that. Everyone here is feeling pretty low." The guardian regarded the commander quietly, then asked, "You will talk to them, won't you?" the question coming out more as a statement and direct order. 

Dot didn't miss the comment either. "If anyone's going to be giving out orders, Guardian, it's going to be me." she snapped, turning to look at him. "And yes, I will talk to them. I'll send a vid out to Phong tonight to see how the rest of the system is holding up." She turned from him to gaze out the open door. "I know my duty, Bob. You needn't have to remind me." 

Bob stood up to go, but stopped short. "If you were doing it, I wouldn't have to remind you." he said, causing Dot's own anger to flare. The guardian walked away from her to meet up with the group Jet and Kit belonged. Dani was talking about getting rooms and a good meal for the night, while Kit was insisting he and Jet work on defense. 

"Look," Kit was saying. "There's a lot riding on this. We can't just take time out whenever we feel like it." 

"Hello!" Nikki replied. "Mainframe to Kit. The council obviously decided we'd be having a break, null breath. There's no reason you and Jet have to work non stop just to..." 

"Do you want to see our parents go to prison?" Kit hissed, unaware of his father's appearance behind him. 

"No one's going to prison." Bob replied, placing a hand on Kit's shoulder. 

"Of course not." Kit said, his calm demeanor coming back. "Don't worry about a thing, Dad. Jet and I have everything under control." 

"Well then, in that case, how bout we get some food and find somewhere to stay until this thing is over?" 

"I was just making that suggestion." Kit replied. 

"You were not!" Nikki scoffed. "It's just like you, Kit, to steal someone else's thunder." 

"Uh!" Jet exclaimed. "Don't you people ever get tired of fighting all the time!?" 

"Jet..." 

"I will find us a place to stay if you need me." The teenager than stormed through the hallway, pushing past Enzo who had stopped to ask what was wrong. 

"Way to go, Basic." Nikki mocked. 

"If you say one more word to me..." 

"Hey!" Bob interrupted. "Are you done? Are you through? If so, get your bitmap moving on this case." Turning to Nikki, he replied, "Go find your brother and help him look for a hotel." 

"Daddy..." 

"Now, Phoenix." 

Nikki sighed, but did as she was told. As she left, she gave her older brother one last glare. Bob too started to walk away, but stopped when he noticed no one was doing anything. "I gave you something to do, right?" he asked. When the remainder of the group nodded, he said, "Well do it." With that, he headed down the hall towards the door. 

  
***

  
Jet left the big convention center, took out his zipboard, and cruised around. The system of Trison was like a mini Super Computer. It was fairly big, perhaps a third bigger than Mainframe, with mostly large skyscrapers in the air. It reminded Jet a lot of Wall Street back home. Buildings upon buildings, with tons of activity going on. It seemed the system was made up of industrial sectors, with a few minor recreational ones. 

He was in the downtown sector, as he had been told when they first arrived. Surely there would be a hotel somewhere in the area. On his search, Jet was more preoccupied with the recent fighting that seemed to be developing. True, his family was like any other ~to say the least~ and had their share of fights, but within that one second, one second their arguments had really gotten out of control. He remembered something from long ago that Phong had told him. 

_Take heart, young Jetison. Remember these words I once told your brother. In unity, there is strength._

The wise sprite had told him he was the ruler of the elements, those in which he learned were his own family. He wasn't the leader of the group, like his mom or dad and he wasn't the oldest like Kit, but Phong had almost assured him that when the time came, he'd rise above everyone and take control of the situation. 

Jet wanted this trial to be one of those times. 

_Where are you? _A voice called to him._ Dad's totally pissed._

_Yeah, well so am I. _Jet snapped back. 

_No need to get snippy. Dad just wanted me to help look for a hotel._

_I think I can find one on my own, thanks._

_I'm just trying to help._

_Well, don't. If you haven't noticed, I'm a big boy now. I think I can manage to find a hotel._

Nikki huffed and rolled her eyes. _Fine, be that way. I bet I find a much better hotel than you will anyways._

_Nikki, have I ever told you how annoying this mind thing is?_

_If you don't like it, why don't you disappear? Oh, that's right. You haven't controlled your powers. Ha!_

_Log off, Nikki. I'm sure you won't have trouble finding someone to help you._

Jet ignored the harsh words his sister was now yelling at him and concentrated on the problem at hand. So many times during the course of the second, he wanted to close his eyes and disappear. He had control over his powers now, which meant daydreaming could not happen whenever he closed his eyes. He wanted to get away from the whole incident, but he knew that wasn't an option, not when his family could be torn apart. 

On the edge of the downtown sector and what looked to be another business sector, Jet found it. Or rather, what he thought would be a perfect place to stay. It was a two story, little bed and breakfast house. It stuck Jet as odd, this little hut in the midst of all the higher buildings and such, but to the teenager it seemed the perfect place to hold residency. Flying down near it, he saw the vacancy sign and decided to go in.   


***

  
"How is the trial coming, my daughter?" 

After being informed by Jet a place to stay had been located, Dot got around to calling Phong, who was holding down the fort back in Mainframe. The wise sprite could see it even in her eyes that his commander in chief was not handling the second well. "If it could wrong, Phong, it did." Dot sighed. She began to explain the first second of trial, involving the reappearance of Alexander Gain and the beginning testimony of the last viral takeover in the system. 

"Oh dear." the wise sprite replied, remembering that moment well and knowing how Dot hated to be reminded of it. All it did was feed into those insecurities she hadn't felt since the seconds of Megaframe. "I sense that is much conflict in the system you are now in." he continued. 

Dot sighed and sat down on her bed. "Conflict to say the least." she said. "It's been one second of trial and already everyone's at each other's throats. My oldest son has lied to me, my brother was the leader in an assault, both brothers were the ringleaders in another viral takeover, which nearly cost the very system I love and lead, my husband and I aren't talking to each other, Roscoe and Sabrina aren't talking to each other and I can just see Matrix and AndrAIa blowing apart...oh Phong." she sniffed, wiping back a few tears. "When did things go from bad to...horrific?" 

"It is not my will to say, child." Phong responded. "For your family, those that are with you and those that are still here, you must pull yourselves together. It seems as though this is just an attempt to pull you further from those you love." 

"Phong..." 

"As for the trial..." Phong tapped his chin and sighed. "Others might not and sometimes will not, understand the actions taken by the few in order to save the many. You and I know, Dot, we have suffered a great deal in our time and had to do things that we now wished we had not done. But when you look back, there...was no other choice. You make decisions based on the resources you have at your disposal." 

"I wish you'd say that to our prosecutor." Dot joked. Her small grin turned back to a grimace. "I feel like I've lost control here, Phong." 

"Some things you can not have control over, Dot." Phong replied. "Haven't we had this conversation before?" 

"Yes." she said, rolling her eyes. "But sometimes..." 

"Sometimes Dot, having control can not solve things." he interrupted. "Remember, it is that very control that leads to a virus' downfall and ultimate deletion." 

Dot sighed, thinking about what he had just said. He was right, of course. "How're things in Mainframe?" she asked. 

Phong smiled slightly, though inside he was concerned. He had watched all these sprites grow up and face their own inner demons to live full lives. It was things like this that always made them back space. "Things here are fine, Dot." he said, choosing to attend to her question then to give her a long lecture. She would come to him if he was needed. "We of course, wish for your speedy return." 

Dot nodded. "I'm thinking of sending Alex back." she said. "She's due any second. I don't know why she didn't just stay in Mainframe." 

"She wanted to be with Enzo." Phong replied. "And I'm sure our young guardian wanted her there as well." 

Dot again nodded. 

"You'll be glad to know Mouse will be coming back." 

"Good." Dot said. "I feel better if Mouse was there with you." At that, Phong gave her a look. "Not that you can't handle the system yourself." she recited. "You're more than capable of handling things. I just like knowing you and Mouse are there keeping the system safe, that's all." 

Phong smiled and nodded. "I admit it will be good having the hacker here." he said. "I do miss her charms and wit." 

Dot couldn't help but smile herself. "Then I'll trust the two of you will stay out of trouble." 

"Of course, of course."   


***

  
_Being infected is like nothing else in the Net, especially when you've never been infected before. With Daemon's infection, things were clear, calm. Those who were infected by her said they never felt more at peace. This was true especially for Matrix. His life had been wrought by disaster and turmoil and finally, it seemed all of that left him. He could see things clearly now. Things he had taken for granted were coming into focus._

_His love for AndrAIa._

_The lost hope he felt with Dot._

_The second chance he would never have with Enzo._

_The guilt he felt over losing that game._

_Matrix had a building hate inside for everything he wasn't and couldn't be, but being infected by Daemon seemed to bring an end to this. Oh, he still had his problems sometimes, but after Daemon he knew what he had to do in order to change his life around. And he did. He made things better for his little brother, he asked the love of his life to marry him, best of all he talked things out with Bob and Dot. In his opinion, though he would never admit it out loud, being infected by Daemon was the best thing that ever happened._

_The same was true with Dot. She had never been infected before Daemon and the super virus made her see just how much she loved Bob and needed him. Oh, she had known when she thought he had been lost, but once he returned, she wasn't sure if things could ever be more between them. What if he had met someone in the Web Riders? What if his feelings had changed or if they had never been there. She shouldn't have worried. Bob couldn't, wouldn't stop loving her no matter what and Daemon had brought her to that realization._

_It seems each virus has their own style of infection. With Megabyte, his was a control infection, a domineering infection. Those subjects were either under his control or loyal to him. No matter what, Megabyte had the power. Daemon had a gentle infection, one that brought peace and understanding to it's slaves. She too had control, but it wasn't as harsh as Megabyte's. So it seemed Alexander Gain had his own infection as well. One that craved power...and destruction..._

_And revenge._   


***

Matrix paced up and down the carpet of his new lodgings. Already in a second of testimony, he was in a great deal of trouble. And not just with the legal system. Dot said she wanted to see him later and her mood was not that of a friendly one either. He had noticed the confrontation she and Bob had and figured that was probably on her mind. 

In other distressing news, his daughter didn't seem to be in the mood either. And when Matrix came up to Roscoe and yelled at him for hurting Sabrina, the sprite just nodded. The renegade didn't think he did a very good job with the yelling. Normally Rosoce jumped when he heard his name being called, but the boy didn't seem to be in the mood and Matrix just wasn't feeling the whole 'yelling at the daughter's boyfriend' routine. He was preoccupied himself. 

Ever since Gain took the stand and basically revealed what had happened on the way to the Principal Office some time ago, AndrAIa had stopped talking to him. He had managed to pull her over at the end of the second's session. The small discussion was put on hold in order to avoid an argument. So, Matrix let it go, at least until he got to their room. Which was where he was pacing, waiting for her to return. She and Sabrina had gone shopping and sightseeing. _Of all the times for them to be shopping,_ he thought bitterly. 

The sound of laughing and the turning of the door knob signalled his wife and daughter's return. AndrAIa stood at the door, talking to Sabrina. "We'll talk later, okay?" she said. Sabrina nodded and continued down the hall of the second floor to her room. AndrAIa walked in, closing the door behind her. She went past Matrix with out a word and stepped into the closet. Matrix looked at her and sighed. 

"I take it you're mad at me." he said. 

"What was your first clue?" she asked, sarcastically, not bothering to turn away from the closet and putting her things away. 

"Do I get a reason for the hostility?" 

AndrAIa turned and looked at him in amazement. "You...you want a reason?" she asked. She closed the closet door with a loud slam and stared at him. "How about this for a reason? You were the leader in an assault. Nevermind you involved your brother and nephew, but our children,_ own our children_, Enzo. And because of it, you may have cost your daughter whatever dreams she had of becoming a guardian one second." 

"Hold it, hold it right there." Matrix said, trying to calm his own anger. "I didn't _spearhead_ anything. That virus got what was coming to him." 

"Matrix, how can you even say that?" she exclaimed. 

"Do you have any idea what he did to me?" Matrix yelled. "To Enzo? What he was planning on doing to you, Sabrina, Nikki, and Dot? Let's not forget who the real victims are in this instance, AndrAIa." The two stared at each for a nano, before Matrix replied with, "Don't worry. I can almost guarantee you nothing is going to happen to Sabrina's guardian honor. Not when her uncle is Prime Guardian." 

"Did it occur to you that's all the more reason to be worried?" AndrAIa asked. 

The couple stood in silence until Matrix grunted and headed for the door. Opening it with gusto, he soon closed it again. "AndrAIa..." he whispered. "About what happened in Dellpac..." 

"That was a long time ago, Matrix." she said. 

He turned slightly towards her. "Kit's gonna make you testify, isn't he?" he asked. 

The game sprite shrugged. "I don't know." she said. "And if he does, I'll just tell the truth." 

Matrix looked at her. "It was an accident." he said, his fist clutching the doorknob. "You know that." 

AndrAIa looked back at him, not once flitching at his rising temper. "I never said it wasn't." she said. 

Matrix's jaw tensed and he once again opened the door. "I will say this." she said behind him, stopping his leave. He didn't bother to turn around. "I'll protect you and defend you on that for as long as we live. And anything else for that matter. But the incident with Gain...you're on your own, Matrix." 

Mattrix seethed inside, knowing that his own wife...he walked out, slamming the door behind him.   


***

_"Bob, you can't be serious!"_

_The blue guardian had organized a small meeting at Al's Wait and Eat, the closest place he could think that none of the Diner 'regulars' would be there and he'd be able to tell his suspicions to those he needed to tell. "Keep it down, please." Bob chastized. "I'm trying to keep this between us. If you go blurting it out, it won't be a secret any more."_

_"Dre's right." Alex said, taking a sip on her enegry shake. "I'll admit the boys going postal on you today was weird, but do you really think they're infected?"_

_"You'll need a big court to prove that in, Darlin'." Mouse replied._

_"Look girls," Bob said. "I'm not saying it's true. I'm just saying I **think** they **could** be infected."_

_"Well then if that's the case," Alex said. "By who? And when?"_

_"I...I don't know." Bob sighed. He looked at the girls, who were giving him looks that told him they weren't buying it. "Look, so I didn't think this through all the way." he admitted. "But even you have to admit this just isn't like them. Not at all."_

_"And I will be the first to agree with you, Guardian." Mouse said. "But saying they're infected is a whole lot different than provin' they're infected."_

_"And I say they're not." AndrAIa said._

_"I agree."_

_"Fine." Bob huffed._

_"Now, wait a nano, Bob." AndrAIa said. "It's not that we don't believe you. We totally agree this is way out of behavior for Matrix and Enzo, but..."_

_"But you're not gonna go as far as saying they're infected." Bob concluded._

_"Sorry Blue Boy," Mouse said, apologetically. "Way off the scope for us."_

_"All right." the guardian replied. "I guess I'll have to take that. What we need to do is find out what's going on."_

_"I think Dot's doing a good job of that right now." Alex joked._

_"If anyone's gonna get the truth from those two, it'll be Dot." Mouse laughed._

_Bob smiled at the comments, but something in his processor was telling him different. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew the brothers were infected and the knowledge that they had left Dot with them only caused him to worry more._   


***

  
Kit sat reading in the Trison library. It was still afternoon and practically empty in the large building. Most binomes and sprites were outside, swimming or running around outside in the cool breeze. Kit, though, would rather be there. In the library. It brought back fond memories of the Science Institute and studying in the lab, whether by himself or with Dani and some friends. The quiet suited the young doctor, who concentrated more when there weren't any outside distractions. 

Of course, he was just fooling himself. 

He had been staring at the same page for the past fifty micros, the setbacks of the trial replaying in his processor. He was beginning to doubt the effectiveness of his counsil and it had only been one second of session. The big problem, other than the fact that he wasn't a lawyer, was the fact that he didn't have the witnesses, expertise, or even resources that the prosecution had. The council consisted of him, Nikki, Jet, and possibly Roscoe, but with his troubles with Sabrina, that seemed to be a distant thing. He and Nikki were getting on each other's nerves, as were he and Jet, so their council wasn't working too well. 

And then there were his witnesses. 

He didn't have any. 

He knew putting his family on the stand would only cause more damage and point to thier guilt. What he needed to do was cross examine the prosecution witnesses. But he didn't have anything on those witnesses, with the exception of Gain. The binomes and sprites from Dellpac obviously had in their minds what happened to young Cody Richson and Kit certainly didn't want to badger his own system's citizens, so that left him where? Absolutely no where. 

Kit sighed and closed the large law book he had been staring at and put his head in his hands. He could feel the headache coming on and the endless yelling and explaining that would be taking place soon enough. He knew his parents were disappointed in him. He was disappointed in himself. He couldn't believe he had let himself get so angry, so enraged that he would willingly and purposefully attack and assault someone, even if it was Alexander Gain. Kit had so many conflicting emotions running through his body. On one hand, at one time, he had believed his father's belief that there was good in everyone. That was disproved during Kit's unwanted stay in the UFL. 

On the other hand, Kit couldn't help but believe his mother's views, one that she shared with both brothers, that viruses were evil and only out for one thing. Power. That was proven by Gain himself. Kit had almost forgotten that night and no one else had talked about it, almost like it was something normal and natural and something to be forgot about. So forgotten, that when it came up in testimony, it was like a ghost coming back to haunt those involve and seemed to give the council a general idea of what was going on with the Matrix siblings and their families. 

"Well, Mr. DA himself." came a voice behind him. Kit closed his eyes, knowing the voice. 

"Peters." he said, turning in his chair. 

Peters stood, arms folded across his chest and a cocky smirk on his face. "Studying up on your law exams?" he asked. 

"This is a library, Mr. Peters." Kit retorted. "Not the system data dump. Surely you can find somewhere else to...bring your kind of...foul odor." 

Peters glared at him, but then smiled. "No need to be snippy, Mr. Lan." he said. "If I were you, I wouldn't worry about sending my parents, uncles, siblings, cousins and who ever else I love to prison. I'd just worry about how they'll hate me when they are." 

"Isn't there an ambulance you need to be chasing?" 

Peters dropped his arms to his side and straightened out his suit. "Try and hold on, Mr. Lan." he replied, with a smirk. "This _will_ be a bumpy ride, I assure you. There's a reason why the council picked me to be the prosecuting attorney. I haven't lost a case yet." 

"First time for everything." Kit said. 

"This isn't your little back water hole of a system, Lan, you just remember that." he snapped. "We here in the big cities conduct business a little differently and a lot more...discreet and more dignified. We tend to throw our viruses out, rather then beat them to a pulp like a family get together. And our sprites certainly don't try taking over the system." 

Kit had had enough. He jumped out of his chair and lunged for Peters, grabbing him by the jacket lapels. The commotion caused some of the library patrons to look towards their direction. "My, my." Peters said. "Temper, temper. I'd watch it if I were you. That could be looked badly upon if you were in court." 

"The key word being_ if._" Kit growled. He glared at Peters before finally letting him go. "And if anyone's gonna watch it, it should be you. You won't like me when I'm angry." 

"Is that a threat?" 

Kit shook his head. "A warning, if you will." he said. "Now, if you don't mind, I believe I was trying to get a bit of reading done. If you'll excuse me." Kit took his seat and once again opened the large book. Peters continued to glare at the back of his head, before turning and leaving. 

Kit waited until he was sure Peters was gone. He then expelled the breath he had been holding while the prosecutor still stood behind him. He was right. If that had been before the council and the spectators, it would prove to do more harm than help. Kit started his breathing exercises, something his father had taught him in order to control his budding temper and keep a lid on revealing his powers when he didn't want to. Kit needed to keep a hold on his, and everyone else's, tempers in order to keep the case flowing in their favor. 

Which wasn't exactly much of a flow.   


***

  
_It seemed Gain had picked the perfect pair to carry on his infection. Only those close to the Matrix brothers would notice any difference in their regular behavior and even that was ever so slight. So when their sister Dot Matrix was infected, their family seemed more on heighted alert. But there was nothing they could do. Bob had his suspicions, but he couldn't prove they were infected and even still, couldn't prove who had infected them and when it had happened._

_He just had suspicions._

_And suspicions couldn't save a system from a viral coupe._

_Enzo looked at Dot as she blinked a few times. Some part of him knew what he was doing and knew it was wrong, but it was like he was trapped. Trapped inside of his own body, feeling and knowing what he was doing, but helpless to stop any of it. "Now, that didn't hurt, did it?" he asked, once Dot looked back at him._

_Dot stretched slightly, testing her limps. "It tingles." she said._

_"Kinda like sticking your finger in a light circuit?" Matrix asked._

_Enzo and then Dot looked at him._

_"Not that I would know anything about..." the renegade corrected. "Why're you looking at me like that?"_

_Enzo just shook his head. "Just ignore him." Enzo told Dot. "I usually do." He turned away from his siblings and started to pace. "Now, about our plans..."_

_"Excuse me?" Dot asked. "What is this 'our' business? There's only one planner in this group and that's me."_

_Enzo glared at her. He then sighed and said, "Well then. Get to planning."_

_"Don't rush me." she sneered. "Besides, we have a lot ot plan. I mean, why just take over this little hole in the wall, when we could have bigger things."_

_"Oh, not the old 'let's take over the Super Computer' plan." Matrix groaned. "That's been done to deletion. Deletion!"_

_"He's right." Enzo said. "Everyone and their mom has tried for the SC and failed, with the exception of Daemon and even in the end, she couldn't beat us." The young guardian was silent for a while. "I think we all know who our... benefactor is." He closed his eyes, as though in some slight pain or even conflict. He opened them again, the green highlights in his eyes shining brighter. "We're following orders." he continued. "And those are to seek and destroy."_

_"No one gets out of the system alive." Matrix commented._

_Dot flinched slightly, waging her own personal battle inside. Deep inside her, she knew this was wrong, against everything she had ever wanted, but a much stronger force was telling her otherwise, telling her this was the right thing and the best thing to do._   


***

  
Nightfall in the system of Trison was relatively quiet and in the Happy Moon bed and breakfast the same was said to the only occupants in the place. The caretaker, though very friendly to the sprites, was slightly disappointed when his other guests left, knowing that the most wanted sprites in the Net were sleeping right next to them. That left more vacancies to be filled and the Mainframe group filled most, with rooms to spare. Which was good, considering. 

They all sat around the large dining table in silence. The caretaker, Mr. Snipes, had the cook prepare dinner for his guests and said dinner would be at 1900. From the outside, the place seemed small, but the inside interior made up for that assumption. The dining room alone was large, almost like a banquet hall. The kitchen adjoined by a door, and the stairs leading to the second floor. The second floor had about twenty rooms, ten on each side. Large bedrooms, with a kind size bed, a large bathroom, just about everything for the comforts of home. 

So the group of heroes and warriors sat around in silence, eating the food from their plates. Dani noticed Matrix playing with his food, as was Kit. Dot ate slowly, while Bob half-heartedly stabbed at his steak. Chip, who was sitting next to Dani, tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned, he brought her attention to his sister and her boyfriend. Sabrina sat catacornered from Chip, who was in between Dani and Matrix. Next to Bri was Roscoe, who hadn't touched his food and was busy making airplanes from the napkins. 

"How was shopping?" Dani asked, causing most of the table to look up at her. 

"It was fine." Sabrina said after a micro, realizing it was she who was being addressed. "Did some...shopping, sightseeing. You know." 

"Right." Dani said, smiling. Chip smirked as well, especially when everything went back to silence. 

Leaning over to her, he asked, "So how long do you think you can keep this up?" 

"Long as I have to." she whispered back. "Kit, I passed by the Trison Musuem today. We should check it out while we're here." 

Kit, who sat next to Roscoe, didn't seem to hear the comment. "Kit?" Dani called. "Christopher!" 

"What?" he asked, looking up. 

"Did you hear what I said?" 

"Oh," Kit said, slightly embarassed. "No, I didn't, sorry darling. I've got other things on my mind." 

Dani just nodded and went back to her food, ignoring the look Chip was giving her. 

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" Alex exclaimed. "This has got to be the most boring, one sided, low density dinner I've ever attended." Standing and taking her plate in her hands, she declared, "I'm going upstairs. I'm sure I can have more entertaining conversation with myself." 

She waddled herself from the table and slowly, but determinedly, started up the stairs. Enzo, feeling guilty and cringing under the looks everyone was giving him for not getting up sooner, also picked up his plate and left the table. "Hey, sweetie, you want some help?" they heard him call. 

"Get away from me!" came the reply. "It's your fault I can't get up the stairs in the first place!" 

"Hey, I'm not the one who tackled me in the sand, now am I?" 

"Don't you dare blame this on me!" she shouted back. "For someone who's having your child, you just don't love me anymore!" 

"What?" 

Chip and Nikki couldn't stop their giggling as the couple made their way upstairs. Their giggling caused Dani to try and surpress a smile, with no such luck. Soon the three were laughing, causing everyone else at the table to smile. "Okay, cool it." Bob said, trying to calm everyone down. It was good to see everyone is a somewhat better mood, not that it last long. As soon as the trio calmed themselves, the group was back to eating in silence. 


	5. Chapter Four: Surprises in Store

**Viral Legacy**   


**Chapter Four: Surprises In Store**   
  
  
_"Can we infect other people?" Dot asked, leaning against her desk._

_"What does it matter?" Matrix asked. "You're the Command.Com, Enzo is the guardian of the system, I'm head of the CPUs. We have all the power here, we don't need any other sprites or binomes in on this."_

_"I agree." Enzo replied._

_"That doesn't solve one problem." Dot said, matter of factly._

_"Which is?" Matrix huffed._

_"Have you both forgotten about out System Administrator?"_

_The two looked at each other. "Phong." Enzo whispered, feeling a twinge of regret. "I forgot about him."_

_"Obviously." Dot said._

_"He patrols these halls like an armory soldier." Matrix said. "How're we going to get past him?"_

_"Hence why I asked about the infection."_

_"It would give us an unbelievable edge if we...recruited the old sprite." Matrix said._

_"No." Enzo said, struggling to keep a hold of his viral side, while pushing his real self away. "We'll just dispose of him. Put him somewhere until this system is ours."_

_"He'll fight back, you know." Dot replied. "He won't do anything short of deletion in order to keep virals from taking this system."_

_Even as she said this, the three were silent, contemplating what they were about to do. Each waged a private battle of control, their former selves crying out against the fact that Phong, a person they viewed as a father figure, a mentor could possibly be hurt, by one of them no less._   


***

  
Dot woke with a start, her breathing halted than started again. She looked around her surroundings and realized she was in her room, staring at her organizer. Dot sighed, knowing she had fallen asleep at the desk. Not only that, but she was remembering things she had long buried deep inside. She turned the organizer off and set it aside. She removed her glasses, closed her eyes, and sighed once more. 

Feeling familiar hands on her shoulders seemed to relax her. Any other time, she would've jumped, been on alert, but she and Bob had been married long enough she knew his touch above anyone else's. The blue guardian stood behind her, massaging the shoulders he knew were tense with worry, fear, and whatever else was causing the emotional roller coaster to run again. He could feel her relax slightly, which he knew was the best that was going to happen. At least with her. 

"Why don't you come to bed?" he whispered. 

"Not tired." she said, then instantly yawned. 

"You were saying?" 

"Get that smirk off your face." she retorted. "Okay, so maybe I'm just a little tired. Can you blame me?" 

"No." he said. Bending over, he kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry for yelling at you today." he said. "I'm certainly not the one who should be telling you how to do your job." 

"You were right though." she said. "I did need to talk to the witnesses, tell them they didn't need to feel guilty for telling the truth. I was being selfish." 

"I can't blame you for that." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Everything's going to all right." he said. "I promise." 

"You can't make a promise like that." 

"Hey, I'm Prime Guardian now." he joked. "If I promise this thing is over, then this thing will be over." 

Dot smiled slightly. He always did know how to make her feel better. "Well then, Prime Guardian Lan," she said, wrapping one arm around his neck. "What say we head off to bed?" 

"Sounds like a plan to me." Leaning over, he kissed he gently on the lips and then again, slightly more passionate. "I love you, Dot." he said. 

"I love you." she echoed. "Come on, Guardian." She stood, took him by the hand, and lead him towards the bed. 

Bob happily followed.   


***

  
The next second began another twelve milliseconds of testimony and witnesses for the prosecution. In the defense corner, things had not been settled with most of the group, leaving them tired and slightly unprepared for what was about to take place. Peters, all smiles, had delivered the message to the defense that he had surprise witnesses come forward who would surely condemn the sprites at the table. 

But first, he had to finish with his other witnesses. 

The first three binomes were those living in Mainframe at the time of the viral takeover and were also nonresidents of the system. They had been there vacationing or visiting when the event occurred, leaving them believing the sprites in charge of the system were trying to take it over for a higher viral power. When Kit finally did a cross-examination on the three, they were secretive about their whereabouts and their reasons for coming to Mainframe in the first place. All it did was frustrate the young counselor in training. 

The next shock just floored him. 

"I call...Vance McMillian to the stand." 

The suave businessman entered the court, all smiles. He walked with a sense of flare and smiled evilly at the defense. "What in the Net is he doing here?" Roscoe whispered, harshly in Kit's ear. 

"If I knew that, he wouldn't be walking to the stand right now." Kit whispered back. 

"Keep your cool on this." Enzo said, knowing they would all need to be on alert. 

"Please state your name and occupation, Mr. McMillian." Peters stated. 

"Vance Kennedy McMillian." he replied. "I...run a little business, a sporting business is you'd like." 

"Come come now, Mr. McMillian." Peters said. "Isn't it true you are the owner, or at least former owner of something called the Ultimate Fighting League or a UFL?" 

Some spectators gasped. 

"In my past, yes." Vance admitted. "But I don't believe I'm the one on trial here, Mr. Peters." 

Peters smiled. "True sir, you are not." he said. "Mr. McMillian, a few hours back, were you still the owner of the UFL?" 

"Yes I was." 

"And during those few hours back, did you have one or more members of the defense involved in your matches?" 

"Definitely." 

"Objection." Kit said. "The circumstances to which members of my clientele were involved in the UFL were not only forced, but illegal as well." 

"Over ruled, Mr. Lan." Riley said with a not too caring sigh. "As Mr. McMillian pointed out earlier, he is not the only on trial here." 

"Do you remember those members who participated in the UFL, sir?" Peters asked. 

"Well, young Roscoe Bettyoskin there had been with us for a whole hour before he left." Vance replied. "In fact, he left as the Web champion, a very high honor. Kit Lan there come to us and stayed for about a minute, and then his uncles, the Matrix boys, were with us for the same amount of time." 

"Isn't your...sport...if you will, illegal?" 

"It's all in the way you look at it." Vance replied. 

"It most certainly is illegal, Mr. McMillian." Turbo stated. "In fact, it was the Super Computer and the Guardian Collective who busted up your first UFL. They are barbaric scenes of violence." 

"No further questions." Peters said, walking calmly to his seat. 

"Your witness, Mr. Lan." 

Instead of Kit, Jetison Lan decided to have a go with Mr. McMillian. "Mr. McMillian, will you explain to the council how you managed to...obtain the services of the four fighters mentioned?" 

Vance gulped. "I don't believe I seem to recall..." 

"Exhibit A." Jet replied, holding up a data file. "This Mr. McMillian, is a sworn statement by my brother, Christopher Lan, that states that you not only kidnapped him, but coerced him into participating in the fights you yourself scheduled." Jet went to hand the file to Riley, but then pulled it from the judge's grasp and handed it to the other members of the council table. "I have three others from those mentioned, as well as at least ten more from those...'willing participants' of yours." 

Vance said nothing, 

"Isn't it also true, Mr. McMillian, that certain members of your own staff have seemingly 'disappeared' soon after the UFL was raided?" 

"Objection!" Peters exclaimed. "Mr. McMillian is not the one on trial here." 

"I'm just trying to show the character of the witness, your honor." Jet replied. "Vance McMillian is the last person to be testifying against my clients." 

"Over ruled, Mr. Peters." one of the council members replied. "Continue, Mr. Lan." 

"Thank you, sir." Jet said, turning back to McMillian. "Answer the question." 

"I don't know where they went." McMillian said, through clenched teeth. 

"Exhibits B and C, one through six." Jet continued, taking more files from his table. "Medical reports from both the Dudleyville Hospital and that of the Super Computer med ward that state various injuries to both Matrix brothers and that of Roscoe Bettyoskin. Also, CPU reports filed against members of a group known as the Degenerate Order, along with Joey Numbers and Viper, who are all once under your command I believe, filed by those same three sprites. It states, that those individuals under your leadership sought to do undo harm to all three sprites mentioned." 

Jet stood before the court spectators. "In order words, assault with a deadly weapon and assault to delete." he said. "Any of this ringing any bells?" 

Vance glared at the teenager. "What's your point?" 

"My point, sir, is this." Jet replied, turning to face him. "You've come before this council with the intent of showing that members of my family voluntarily joined your group of fighters, when in fact, they were kidnapped and then forced to do your bidding, all the while making money for you. Sound about right?" When Vance refused to answer, Jet replied, "No more questions." The teen returned to his table, giving a high five to his brother as he sat down, and getting pats on the back from other members. 

"You may step down, Mr. McMillian." Turbo replied. 

Vance gave the council an evil glare, before leaving the stand. As he passed the defense, he sneered at their gloating grins and smiles. "We finally score one for our side." Nikki whispered, patting her twin on the back. 

"We just gotta make sure the good luck holds." Kit reminded her. 

"Call your next witness, Mr. Peters." 

Peters stood, obviously still upset at how one of his 'star' witnesses had gone down in such flames. He couldn't afford to have them win. He had his career to think of. If anything, it was better if they could damage themselves. Smiling at Riley, he said, "I call Enzo Matrix, the third to the stand."   


***

  
_The space in between downtime and start up was usually quiet. Most sprites and binomes were nestled in their beds, unaware of what the new second would bring them. This was also the time Phong took time out for himself for some good downtime. After he had checked and re-checked the status of the city, the system administrator would retire with one last cup of cocoa._

_It was in this time the viral takeover began._

_Three infected sprites, all members of the system's staff, had everything planned to a byte. They were already in the Principal Office, their positions allowing them access to the very heart of the system, and they knew the habits of the resident sprite like the backs of their hands. Getting rid of the wise sprite was challenging. They didn't want to infect him, despite conflicting feelings, but yet they couldn't delete him or some of the only secrets he knew would be lost to them._

_Waiting until the small sprite had gotten his last cup of cocoa, the trio struck. It seemed so very easy, perhaps too easy to take him. He was shocked to say the least, that his three favorites, sprites he viewed as his own children, could turn like this. But he knew it was because of something he didn't like and didn't put up much of a struggle when they captured him. File locking him until further notice, the three began. As the start up process began, the city heard the announcement on the PA system._

_"Citizens of Mainframe. This is Dot Matrix, Command.Com, alerting you all to a change of command. This new order will go smoothly if you all just co-operate. The first order of business is for you all to hand over your PIDs..."_   


***

  
"State your name and relationship with the defendants." 

Chip cleared his throat and replied, "Enzo David Matrix, III. I'm the senior Matrix's son." 

"Mr. Matrix," Peters said, pacing in front of the teen. "We've already established that you were apart of the assault to a Mr. Alexander Gain. What was your role in that assault?" 

"Objection." Kit said. "I'm not sure I understand the relevance of Mr. Peters questioning _my _witnesses." 

"I would like to remind Dr. Lan that his cousin is on the stand as a hostile witness." Peters defended. "I'm trying to show the council of the depths this family can stoop to." 

"He's a hostile witness, Dr. Lan." Riley replied. "You can recall him again if you wish." To Chip he said, "Answer the question." 

Chip looked at Riley and over to Kit. He knew anything he said could be very fatal to his family's case. "I..." he started. "I was the look out guy." 

Some of the spectators made sounds of disapproval. 

"The look out guy." Peters repeated. "Isn't it true you've been in some trouble yourself, Mr. Matrix?" 

"Objection!" Jet cried. "Chip Matrix is not on trial here, to use a saying famous by prosecution." 

"Over ruled." Riley yawned. 

"I don't know what you mean." Chip replied. 

"Prosecution's own exhibit A." Peters said, smirking at Jet. "This, Mr. Matrix, is a CPU report out of Mainframe." He handed the file to Chip. "Care to tell the council what it says." 

Chip looked at the file and up at Peters. "I already know what's in it." he whispered. 

"Then share it with the council." Riley demanded. 

Chip silently fumed, wondering how Peters had found the report and how he could sufficiently repay Peters for his deed. "I was arrested for arson." he said, causing many spectators, and even council members, to gasp in surprise. 

"And?" Peters asked, looking over the file. 

Chip kept a loose reign on his temper, which he could feel starting to explode. "Property damage." 

Peters nodded, hiding the small smile on his lips. 

"They were all my fault, I'll admit." Chip cried. "But they were also accidents." 

Peters looked at the teen. "Really?" 

"Yes, really." Chip said. "I was fooling around trying to make a go cart in the data dump and I kinda set the place on fire. To teach me a lesson, I was arrested, but that CPU report isn't even real!" 

"Hmmm..." Peters said. "And the property damage?" 

"My dad and I got into an argument and I stormed out." Chip exclaimed. "I was hitting stuff, it didn't matter what or who it belonged to at the time. I paid my dues for that." 

"Yes." Peters said. "So, do you and your father fight often?" 

"Objection." 

"Over ruled. Answer that." 

"A lot of kids and parents get into arguments." Chip said. "No file." 

"But do you fight often?" 

"Every once in a while." Chip said. 

"He's a pretty big guy." Peters continued. "You're not nearly as big." 

"What're you trying to say?" Chip asked. 

Peters shrugged. "You must've been pretty mad about that fight and you must've been scared that your dad might be mad about the fire. He's a pretty big guy." 

"And you're a pretty big jerk." Chip said, through clenched teeth. "What's your point?" 

"Objection!" Jet cried, clearly seeing his cousin was starting to lose it. 

"You were a little kid." Peters continued on. "You're dad's big and tall and strong and I'm sure you made him mad. And you argue often..." 

"I didn't say that." 

"Hello?" Nikki replied. "Objection!" 

"Well, then why'd you do all that damage?" Peters asked. "And there's a lot of damage here. Smashed some car windows, put holes in a few buildings..." 

"I was really mad okay?" 

"Sometimes when someone is...really mad, as you say, or even sad, they tend to...act out." Peters stood in front of Chip. "Your parents getting along? Are they fighting?" 

"Objection, damn it!" Kit exclaimed. "What the Dell is wrong with you?" 

Chip stood from his seat on the witness, his control on his temper going out the proverbial window. "There's nothing wrong with my parents!" he exclaimed. "Everything is fine! And you wanna know something else? I took a couple shots on Gain myself, cause the FAQing son of a null deserved it and I'd do it again!" 

The crowd erupted in scandalous questions and whispers and murmurs. Riley banged his gavel, trying to regain some order. Peters smiled, loving the reaction he had gotten from not only Chip Matrix, but the defense as well. Both boys were livid, Chip at Peters, and Kit at Peters as well, but especially at Chip. He had let Peters egg him on, giving the exact effect Peters wanted. 

From both of them. 

"No further questions." Peters said, once some order had been restored.   


***

  
_There was a hightened state of panic._

_Binomes and sprites alike were confused by the morning announcement. Their own Command.Com, whom they loved dearly, was ordering for their infection at her brothers' hands. The system was slow to act, something that Matrix and the CPUs took care of right away. It was their choice to either surrender or refuse. Those that surrendered were congratulated, those that refused..._

_The Matrix brothers took care of them._

_Dot had demanded those that refused be thrown in the holding cells, in order to avoid serious shedding of energy. She knew her brothers could lose control, especially at the upper levels of aggression their infection seemed to have on them. Even she had to struggle with keeping her viral side away from her normal nature. The viral side wanted everyone, **everyone**, deleted. Dot Matrix, the sprite who had lived here practically all her life, who had raised a family here, didn't want that. Not at all._

_A vidwindow popped up in front of her, blocking her view of the chaos going on outside. Facing her was Bob and AndrAIa, both looking confused, angered, and slightly worried. "Dot, what're you doing?" Bob asked, tyring to read her expression, but it was one of heartless emotion._

_"Taking care of some lose ends." she replied, calmly. "I was saving you for last. I'm hoping you'll just surrender for my sake."_

_"And what of the sake of Mainframe, Dot?" AndrAIa asked. "What about everyone who lives here?"_

_"They have the choice of living or deleting." Dot said. "I'm giving them life, so to speak. But with a snap of my fingers, I can make sure my brothers take that away." She sighed and shook her head. "Don't fight me on this." she whispered, her old self trying to make a plea for rescue. "I don't know what will happen if you do."_

_"We have to, Dottie." Bob replied. "We gotta stop you and get you, Matrix, and Enzo back to us." He paused, caught staring at the sprite who meant so much to him. "Above anything and whatever happens, I love you, Dot." he said. He then closed the connection._

_"Bob..."_

_"She's not Dot." he said, trying to convince the game sprite, and mostly himself, of that fact. "She looks like Dot, but she's not. Not right now." He turned to AndrAIa. "The same's true with Enzo and Matrix, Andri." he said. "It's not them. We gotta stop them with any means necessary. It's the only way to save them. And ourselves."_   


***

  
Peters smiled triumphantly as the court went for the first recess of the second. He had been looking to shatter the wholesome image those sprites showed off and it was paying like a million units in a lottery. He had wanted to show how Matrix's own son was taking to the life of crime and it resulted in some spectactors asking questions that Peters had hoped they would. How could a parent, especially a father, want to involve his son in illegal activites? And why didn't his mother stop it? Worse yet, Chip Matrix was the nephew of the Command.Com, who over saw everything in Mainframe. Why didn't she come to the rescue? 

Better still, those in the court were able to see not only the temper of Chip Matrix, but the temper in Dr. Christopher Lan as well. It was a surprise blessing for Peters. He never thought Kit would even threaten him, let alone yell and curse at Riley like that. Peters knew before the trial was over, Kit Lan would find himself in contempt. Peters still had a few more aces up his sleeve. 

Ones that would be potentially devastating to the defense. 

On the other side of the hall from Peters, was a small discussion taking place between the defense. Kit angrily paced back and forth, waiting for Chip to exit the court room. Nikki was doing her best to calm her brother down, with no such luck. When Chip, accompanied by Sabrina and Jet walked out, something in the air said the bits were going to hit the fan. 

"Get over here." Kit growled, seeing the trio exit. Chip, still in a foul mood, stepped up to Kit with no fear in his eyes. "Do you have any idea how your behavior nearly costed us this case?" 

"You need to get away from me, Kit." The teen growled himself. "And if you wanna talk about someone screwing up this case, perhaps you need to look at our lawyers, Counselor." 

"You better be damned grateful I'm even doing this." 

"Oh, I'm sorry Dr. Lan." Chip replied, sarcastically. "I"ll be more supportive. Thanks for not cross-examining everyone the prosecution brings up. Thanks for letting your little brother take over questioning cause if it wasn't for Jet, this case might be over cause of you." 

"You take that back, you little shit." Kit said. 

Chip pushed him backwards, saying, "Make me." 

The two lunged for each other, only being stopped by the girls and Jet. Peters smiled and calmly walked over to the dispute. "If you run the rest of your case like this, I'm a shoe in to win." he said, earning deletion looks from the quintet. "Please," he continued. "Don't let me intrude. Continue tearing each other apart." He chuckled and walked away, taking a last look before breaking out into laughter. 

Chip struggled against Sabrina before she finally let him. With a deletion look towards Kit, he stormed off. Sabrina too glared at her cousin. "Get this case on track." she said, before going after her brother. Kit wrenched free from his siblings' hold. 

"That's it." he said. "I'm done, I'm through. I quit." 

"You can't quit!" Nikki exclaimed. "What about Mom and Uncle Matrix and Uncle Enzo?" 

"FAQ it!" he said. "I'm tired of this! I'm packing my bags and heading home." 

"Giving up so easily?" asked a voice. 

The twins looked at each in confusion and turned to see the owner of said voice. Kit already knew it, though he hadn't heard it for at least 13 hours or so. "No." he whispered, in some slight shock. The sprite who made the comment seemed to come out from the shadows and stand in front of the trio. His hair had gone completely gray and he now sported a salt and pepper beard, but it was him. Kit knew it. 

"Must be a trait in the family." he continued. "Ah, Christopher. You were always one to change your processor at the drop of a hat." 

"Who the Dell are you?" Nikki asked. 

The sprite turned to look at her. "You must be Phoenix." he said. 

"Nikki." she corrected. 

"Spitting image of your mother, I must say." He then turned to Jet. "And you're Jetison." 

"That I am." he replied. "I do believe my sister asked you a question." 

_Who the FAQ is this guy? _Nikki asked. 

_I don't know, _Jet responded. _But we're going to find out._

"A very rude one at that." the sprite said. "I didn't think you'd know me. I'm not so surprised your father and mother haven't said anything, but Christopher, et tu? I would at least think you'd tell your siblings about me." 

"You mean how you're a greedy, cold hearted son of a..." 

"Temper, temper, I see." he replied with a smirk. "That was evident of your performance in there. And that Chip Matrix. Talk about an evil clone running around." 

"Hey!" Nikki interrupted. "I asked you a question, Mister. Who the Dell are you?" 

"Same ole manners passed down." he tsked. "I'm Robert Packard, but I don't think you'll recognize the name. But you might know this one. Robert Packard Lan." 

"That's our dad's name." Jet said. 

"It's my name too." said Packard. "I'm your grandfather." 


	6. Chapter Five: Sinister Plans

**Viral Legacy**   


**Chapter Five: Sinister Plans**   
  
  


"Our grandfather?" Jet asked, looking at Kit for confirmation. But all his brother did was seethe at the blue sprite that stood before them. 

"He might be our grandfather legally," Kit replied, glaring at Packard. "But as far as I'm concerned, I don't have any living grandparents." 

"I figured you'd say that." Packard said, smiling. 

"Look," Nikki began. "As cool as this mini reunion is, I'm sure you know the stakes we're at here...granddad. I'm sure glad you're on our side." 

"I'm not, actually." 

"What?" asked the twins 

"I'm testifying for the prosecution." Packard said matter of factly. 

"But...but..." Jet stuttered. "This your family you're talking about! Your daughter in law, not to mention your own son!" 

"As I stated back in the Principal Office, or rather, as your brother so put it, I'm not welcomed in Mainframe. And your father made it perfectly clear that he didn't want any part of our relationship." 

"Don't you even dare try and play a sympathy card." Kit grumbled. 

"Look," Packard replied, rising his hands. "A lot of time has past and things are different now I'm sure." Turning to the twins he said, "My decision to speak against your parents is all up to you two." 

The twins looked at each other in confusion and even Kit was perplexed by the comment. 

"I'll walk over to Mr. Peters right now and tell him I refuse to take the stand..." he paused, looking at them both. He could clearly see his son mirrored in each one, though Nikki looked more like her mother. "All you have to do is join me." 

"Join you?" Nikki asked, incredulously. "Join you and what? The dark side? What are you talking about?" 

"I knew it was something." Kit said, his anger rising once again. 

"Yes or no?" Packard asked. 

"Hmmm, let me see." Nikki replied, striking a thinking pose. "How about...um...no?" 

Packard turned to Jet and saw the young sprite thinking as well. it was the same look of thoughtful that had nearly brought Christopher to him. "Jet!" Nikki exclaimed. The two exchanged glances, their conversation unheard to the outside Net. "You've got to be kidding." she said, staring at him. 

"No." he said, finally. 

Packard heaved a sigh, though the trio could clearly see the answers angered him. "Fine." he said. "At least I won't be responsible for your parents' time in jail." He swiftly turned and walked away. 

"Why didn't you guys ever tell us about him?" Jet asked, once the blue sprite was out of ear shot. 

"Because you didn't need to know about him." Kit replied. 

"What?" Nikki asked. "Hello! He's just our grandfather..." 

"No." their brother said firmly. "We only have one grandfather and that was Dr. James Matrix. That sprite is nothing to us." 

"He is too something." Jet said. "He could very easily sink our ship. Now that we've pissed him off, who knows what he'll say when he takes the stand." 

"Then we deal with it." Kit replied. "Right now, we gotta get our own witnesses together." 

_And keep our own team from falling apart, _Nikki thought.   


***

  
_In all the days Phong had processed, he had never witnessed anything like this in the history of Mainframe. It was true they had their own demons to face and had fought them head on, especially the virals that tried to over take their system. Megabyte had failed time and time again and even when he made Megaframe a reality, they still managed to stop him. And then came Daemon. Even with half the staff under her control, they still managed to prevail. But this..._

_This was something different._

_It wasn't just a threat that hit close to home, it was a threat that called Mainframe home. Never in Mainframe's history had a virus taken over control the way the infected Matrix siblings had. With Dot as the evident leader and her brothers as enforcers, it didn't take all that much time for Mainframe to fall at their hands. Already the siblings were discussing infecting their own citizens and then destroying their home._

_The wise sprite was still in shock when they had cornered him late that fateful second and placed him in file lock while they did their planning. He wasn't if it was the goodness of her heart or the real sprite trying to undo the deed, but Dot had come back and released him. Somewhere, she must've known he would immediately get in touch with the others, find out their status. Maybe she did know and was hiding from him, her brothers, possibly herself._

_He had seen it with the Matrix boys as well. When he didn't present a struggle and they needn't to be rid of him, Phong could see the inner conflict they all were going through. Somewhere, deep inside, there was still hope of retrieving their spirits and bringing the sprites everyone loved back to them. But he would need help and he knew the solution would be one of life and deletion._   


***

  
"Of all the basic, two bit, son of a..." 

Chip was hitting and kicking whatever he passed as he stormed outside. It was sunny and birds were singing, daiseywheels were growing. The teen kicked a nearby can, that went flying in the air and hit a wall. He continued by punching a banner ad for the Intel Hotel, located in the heart of the business sector. 

"You need to calm down." Sabrina replied, trailing after him. This was old hat to her. Her brother often went off like this, he was so sensitive to things, but instead of running away and crying, he did what their father usually did. Went off the handle and into a blinding rage. Though she had to admit, that Peters guy was getting on her nerves too. Chip hated being reminded of the fact he 'technically' had a CPU record. A permanent one that, anywhere else, wouldn't allow him access to anything, despite his talents. 

It was Phong himself who, if not slightly, took pity on the boy. Matrix had given him an earful about messing with things he shouldn't because he was so young and why he wasn't thinking about consequences for supposedly being the bring young adult he kept telling him he was. And all Peters did was bring that out into the open. Now everyone knew. Not just in Mainframe, but now in a rather large metropolis of a system. 

Sabrina was brought away from her thoughts when she nearly collided with he brother, who had stop short a few feet from a small bench. He stood there, his breaths rapid, and his fists clenching and unclenching. "You really should signal when you're going to stop." she joked. Seeing no response, she threw her arm around his shoulder. "Come on." she said, leading him over to the bench. Turning him around, she pushed him back and then sat down next to him. 

"Kit didn't mean what he said, Junior." she soothed. "You're not ruining this case." 

"But what if I just proved the council right about stuff?" he whispered, his body hunched over to avoid anyone from seeing how truly upset he was. 

"The council doesn't know null squat." Bri replied. "Besides, Peters egged you on. I think that's like badgering a witness. If you think about it this way, baby bro, everyone is out to get us." 

"Well, doesn't that just cheer me up." Chip muttered, sarcastically. 

"Look," she said. "We faced tough shit before and we're probably always going to. The point is we never let it get us down. We look at it, slap it in the face a couple times, and then beat its ASCII all over the Net. We'll be all right, EJ. Don't worry. That's the Lans' job." 

Chip couldn't hide the smile from his face. Sabrina always did have a way of making him laugh, even when he hated her circuits with a passion. "I don't know, Bri." he said. "This is bigger than any virus or wanna be virus or whatever we've ever faced. This is like our circuits on the lines. The odds are stacked against us." 

Sabrina sighed. She knew he was right. Things had been falling apart from the word go and it looked as though it wouldn't help their case at all. "Mom and Dad still aren't talking to each other either." Chip whispered. 

"I know." his sister sighed. 

"I wish I was back home." he continued. "Then I wouldn't have been on the stand and Dad wouldn't be mad at me." 

"He's not mad." she said. 

"I don't mean to be a big let down." 

"You are not a let down!" she sighed in annoyance. "Dad loves you, you know that. You wanna go through what he and Mom did? You wanna grow up in the games and never see your family for like 10 hours?" 

"No." Chip said. "I know Dad loves me and no, I don't wanna go through what he and Mom did. He's trying to protect us, I understand that." 

"Then don't let anything that pompous ASCII Peters said make you think other wise." Sabrina challenged. "Yeah, Dad's rough around the edges, so what? He's always taught us to stand up for ourselves and take care of ourselves and never let anyone beat us down." 

"He's doing it on purpose." 

"Damn straight he is." Sabrina said. "He's trying to get us to say something incriminating about Dad, Dot, and Enzo. You may have lost this round, little brother, but there's still cross-examining, if our basic, two bit cousin can handle that." 

Chip smiled and nodded. "Redeemable questions." he said. "I can make good and make Dad all proud." 

"He's already proud, Squirt." she said, mussing up his hair. "And...so am I, but I swear if you tell anyone I said that, I kick your bitmap all the way back to Mainframe."   


***

  
_A small battle of wits and know how began in the small system of Mainframe. The system was loyally torn apart. On one side was the Command.Com and her brothers, infected by some unknown virus and were planning their take over of the city. Dot Matrix had always been fair and had brought them through tough times. The binomes and sprites were loyal to her, even if she was viral._

_On the other side was the system's guardian, the leader's husband. Guardian Bob had gone through rough times with the system as well, and the system of Mainframe always backed their own. So when the system found itself at odds with each other, each side claiming loyalty to their leaders. To the sprites at odds, it too was confusing to them. To Mouse, her best friend was infected and trying to destroy the very place she called home and loved. Mouse knew she wasn't in control, but she had to be stopped._

_She had to._

_For Bob and AndrAIa, leading the attack on the Principal Office in order to save their system and loved ones was proving to be way too hard. Dot was the planner of the group, the indispensable leader and right now she was working against them. Bob felt like Daemon all over again, when Mouse had been under her control. The most trusted person with the codes and address for the system was working against them. It was the same here. But past that, past all the leadership responsibilities, Dot was his wife, the mother of their children._

_Bob knew AndrAIa felt the same way. She and Matrix were so close to each other, it almost felt like she was infected too. Both had conflicting feelings on the matter, neither one knowing what to say to the other about what was going on. They stood in Dot's office, located in the Diner, along with Mouse and a vidwindow with Phong on the other side. They were trying to figure out a way of gaining access into the P.O., but as Mouse had pointed out, they could be at a disadvantage._

_"Enzo knows those codes like the back of his hand." she replied. "I taught him myself and I know he's good. He could have them redone before we even left here."_

_"Do you think he's done it?" the game sprite asked._

_"Knowing Dot, I'm sure she planned on it." replied Bob, a forlorn look on his face._

_"I will say this, my children." Phong spoke up. "The Matrix children are dealing with their own fight within. Their true sides may prevail and surprise us."_

_"Or their viral sides take over for good." Mouse commented._

_"Which brings up a very good point." AndrAIa said. "Phong, how do we cure them of the infection?"_

_The wise sprite sighed. "I...have been considering that." he said._

_"And?"_

_"Because we do not know the source of the infection, we can not properly destroy the virus or at least contain him in order to reverse the effects."_

_"Which means what?" Bob asked._

_"Bob, are you familiar with the procedure taken when one is infected and there is no other cure?"_

_The guardian instantly knew what the sprite was saying. There had to be another way, something less painful and more sure than what he was thinking. "Phong, we can't." he said, shaking his head. "There's gotta be another way."_

_"What?" AndrAIa asked._

_When Bob didn't respond, she looked at Phong, who hung his head sadly. "We'll have to purge the infection from their codes, my child."_

_"You mean extracting the viral source code from them?" she asked. Looking at Bob, she gulped. "Why does that not sound pleasant?"_

_"It's not." Bob replied. "It's on of those emergency situation kind of things. It's also extremely painful and sprites that go through it..." he shook his head. "Depending on the infection, there's no telling what could happen."_

_Both looked solemn, unsure what action to take. "Bob, we have to." AndrAIa whispered. "Even if it's a last resort, we have to do something." Bob closed his eyes, knowing what could happen as a 'last resort'. "We have our kids to think about." At the mention of their children, both looked at each other in horror. Things had gotten so chaotic..._

_"Where are they?" Bob asked._   


***

  
_"Dot, come on!" Matrix exclaimed._

_"No!" she cried. Things were going according to plan, they didn't need any more help._

_"Just think what we could do with all that power." Enzo insisted. "Even without Kit and Bri here, we could still manage to get whatever we want, whenever."_

_"No." she said, more forcefully. "We're leaving the kids out of this."_

_"Why?" Matrix asked. "It would be so easy to get them and..."_

_"User, what part of no do you not understand?" she asked, storming over to Matrix._

_"I think it's the N." he said, sarcastically._

_Calmly slightly, Dot asked, "Do you really want your son to be involved in this?"_

_"Yes." he said. "No. I don't know."_

_"We spare them." Enzo replied, watching as his siblings started to lose their grip on themselves. "For now. I can't tell you what will happen later. As long as they're out there and not in here with us, they'll be okay." The three were quiet for some time, trying to regain their sense of purpose. They could feel the infection getting the better of them and it wouldn't be long before they could all be easily lost._   


***

  
The council reconveined at 1500 millieseconds that second. Most people were already inside, watching the two opposing sides talk to their witnesses. Peters sat in his chair, talking to some young blond sprite who had been sitting behind him. Kit and Jet were at odds again, over the appearance of their grandfather. Kit refused to even listen to what his brother had to say, causing even more frustration in the young man. 

Chip and Sabrina made their return, in much better moods then they had been. Sabrina even told Roscoe she needed to talk to him during the next free time they had or wait until that second was over and then kissed his cheek. Chip walked up to Kit and sat on the edge of the table. "Put me back on the stand." he said. "You can cross-examine me and I can clear up everything." 

"No." Kit replied, not bothering to look up from his various files. 

"What?" he asked. 

"You've already had your turn." Kit said, looking at his cousin. "Besides, we have our share of problems. Why have you add to it?" 

"Don't worry," Jet said, despite the look his brother gave him. "You will be taking the stand again. For us this time." 

Chip smiled and took his seat, leaving Kit to just stare at his brother. "And don't_ you _worry, little brother." he sneered. "We'll be having a discussion of our own later." 

"Can't wait." Jet retorted. 

The two sat down, as the council made their way back. Riley took his place on his bench and Peters stood from his table. "Call your next witness, Mr. Peters." 

"If I may address the council?" he asked. The members nodded and he proceeded. "I think have successfully shown that the Matrixes are a family of...murderers, criminals...but there's still things left to be unearthed. I think my next witness will prove that." 

"Get on with it, Peters." replied one of the council members. 

"I call...Robert Packard to the stand." 

Immediately, members of the defense were up in arms over this. Riley banged his gavel for order. "I've told you before, Mr. Lan, about your table." 

"Yes, sir, very sorry, sir." Kit said. "And it's Dr. Lan. I didn't spend eight hours at the Science Institute and four more doing independant studies to be called Mister, thank you." 

Packard cracked a smile as he moved past defense to take the stand. "Cross-examine him." Bob said, earning a look from Kit. 

"Let's hear what he has to say first." Jet whispered back. 

"It's nothing we haven't heard before." Kit muttered. 

"Please state your name for council." 

"Robert Packard Lan, Sr." the blue sprite replied. 

Peters looked at him quizzically. "And your relationship to defense, sir?" 

"At one time I was the Prime Guardian's father." he said. 

"One time?" Peters asked. 

"Yes." Packard replied. "Before he murdered my wife." 

There was another scandelous uproar from the spectactors and some what confused reactions from the Prime's own children. "Objection!" Kit exclaimed. "There is no evidence to support Packard's wild theories and accusations." 

"Your honor," Peters said. "This is the Prime Guardian's father." 

"Was his father." Kit corrected. He pointed at Packard and said, "Ask him how he just packed up and left and didn't even leave my dad a note while he was still at the Guardian Academy." 

"They deleted her!" Packard cried. "Robert was just as responsible." 

"Order!" Turbo exclaimed, his voice booming through out the room. "I want counsel in the back office. Now!" 

The former Prime stood and stormed towards the council chambers, with Kit and Peters right behind him. Nikki watched them, then quickly turned to Jet. "Stop thinking that." she whispered, a shocked look on her face. Jet just ignored her and continued his thought. 

_He's going to ruin this case._

Once in the office, Turbo slammed the door behind him. "Now, what is this about?" he asked. "This Packard is making some very harsh claims. It's one thing when one guardian is accused of murder and two for assault, but Bob? He's Prime Guardian now and I do not want any bad publicity from this trial to reflex on the Academy." 

"I've checked out Mr. Packard, sir." Peters said. "And his story is straight. He is legally Robert Packard Lan, Sr, who was married to a Meredith Lan, who then initialized the current Prime Guardian." 

"What is this thing about murder?" Turbo asked again. 

"Robert Packard is a very disturb individual." Kit replied. "He believes my father, his own son, is responsible for the deletion of my grandmother." 

"I knew Meredith." Turbo said, a sad smile on his face. "She was a wonderful sprite, wonderful. Her death was a great shock to everyone and the Academy held a full investigation." 

"Exactly." Kit said. "Her death was an accident. But for some reason, Packard refuses to believe that." 

"Packard knows things that could break this case, sir." Peters insisted. "If I could..." 

"Mr. Peters." Turbo said, keeping a hold on his temper. "You'll hear my decision out there." Opening the door, the three emerged to a quiet room. Everyone had their eyes on them. They returned to their seats, but Turbo remained standing. "Strike everything Mr. Packard has said." the former PG replied. "He is not a credible witness." 

"But sir, surely..." Peters protested. 

"Mr. Peters, you are trying our patience." Turbo said, stiffly. "We have tolerated your...questionable means at your witnesses, but I refuse to have a sprite who is only going to bore the court with his outrageous lies." To Packard, he said, "You may step down, Mr. Packard." 

Turbo took his seat once again, ignoring the evil glares he was receiving from both Packard and Peters. Packard left the stand and stormed out of the court, to the relief of defense. Peters remained standing, the smirk he usually had replaced by a malicious frown. "Your next witness, Mr. Peters." Riley replied, also seemingly to be somewhat down. 

"I have none." the prosecutor muttered. "The prosecution rests." 

"Call your first witness, Doctor." 

"If it would please the court, could defense have a few seconds to prepare?" Kit asked. 

"I think we could use a slight break." replied an orange skinned council member. "Is two seconds enough, Dr. Lan?" 

"Two seconds is fine." Kit replied. "Thank you." 

"The trial will reconvein in two seconds, 0800 millieseconds."   


***

  
Packard stormed out of the court room and started down the hallway. Credible witness...ha! This from the very person in charge of the murderers who had deleted his wife, his baby, the love of his life. He had known from the beginning this was a farce, the whole trial was just to make the guardians look good. Of course they couldn't have someone like on the stand telling the truth about them. Then everyone would know. 

Everyone. 

"Excuse me." came a voice from behind him. Packard stopped and turned and saw a well dressed sprite approach him. "Bob Packard, right?" he asked. 

"Yes." he said, suspiciously. 

"Sorry for the scare if any." The sprite held out his hand in a friendly gesture. "Let me introduce myself. Vance McMillian, businessman extrordinaire." 

Packard took the offered hand and shook it. "I couldn't help notice the way they treated you up there." Vance replied. "Distgusting. Utterly revolting. Oh, where are my manners? Come on." 

Vance started to head in the opposite direction, while Packard looked at him couriously. "Come on." Vance repeated, seeing the hestitant look on the sprite's face. Packard followed him slowly, as the sprite lead him towards the small break room used by employees or others in the building. Seating at a table, was another sprite, waiting patiently. "Mr. Bob Packard meet Alexander Gain." The two shook hands. Vance took a seat, while Packard remained standing. 

"You're probably wondering why you've been brought here, Mr. Packard." Gain replied, seeing the questioning look they were given. 

"That would be the first question, yes." Packard responded. 

"We understand your frustration at those...'good guys' in there." Vance began. "They portray themselves as high upstanding citizens when in reality...they're garbage." 

"I can't disagree with you on that." Packard replied. 

"Were you here yesterday?" Vance asked. 

"No," the blue sprite said. "I got in today." 

"Bring you in and you can't even testify." Gain said, with a shake of his head. 

"I know." Vance agreed. "Hideous. But as for yesterday, poor Alex here had to testify how those 'good guys' beat him in an alley. Your grandson included!" 

"That so called 'son' of mine didn't raise him properly." Packard spat. "And I know those twins are going to turn out the same way." 

"Your grandson even ruined my business." Vance said. "Harassed me until I could no longer work. It's a shame really. He's a bright boy." 

"I know." Packard said, bitterly. "All his talents wasted in...science." 

"We understand that." Gain said, looking at Vance. "And we have a proposition to make." 

"What kind of proposition?" 

"I can see in your eyes, you want to save your grandchildren." Vance replied. "And Mr. Gain here can help. They aren't normal, you know. They got special powers, but with Alex's help, they won't be so special." 

"Lay it on the table, gentlemen." the blue sprite said. "What do you get out of this?" 

Vance held up his hands. "I just want whats mine." he said. "The boyfriend of Matrix's daughter has soemthing of mine. I want it back. Those kids have something Alex here wants." 

"Do you know what it's like to have what you've wanted for so long, Mr. Packard, and then have it snatched away from you?" Gain asked. 

"Yes." Packard replied, with hate. 

"Basically," Vance said. "You help us get what we want, and we help you get your youngest grandchildren." 

"Without their powers, they're just normal kids." Gain replied. "No going off to save some back hole system or using it at their disposal." 

Packard looked at the two, a small smile on his face. "When do we start?"   


***

Roscoe walked down the hall towards his girlfriend's room. They hadn't talked for a whole second and it was driving him random. So when she had kissed him earlier, he had hoped it signaled the end of the fighting. Coming up to her door, he checked his suit, straightened his hair, he was always nervous when he saw her, like it was their first date all over again. He knocked slowly and waited. 

Sabrina opened it and smiled. "Hi." she said. 

"Hey." he responded. She opened the door wider so he could enter. Closing it behind her, Bri turned to apologize but was caught up in a passionate kiss. Her arms went around his neck as she continued it, missing the feel of him. Breaking it, he held her close, his cheek reesting on the top of her head. "I'm sorry." he whispered. 

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about." she murmured, eyes closed, and head resting on his chest. "I shouldn't have yelled at you." 

"It's been a horrible two seconds." he said. 

"Tell me about it." 

"Parents still fighting?" Ross asked. 

"Everyone is still fighting." she sighed. 

"Cept us." he smiled and kissed her forehead. "And Dani and Kit. And Enzo and Alex, and Bob and Dot." 

Sabrina sighed again and hugged Rosoce tighter. "I predict rough seas ahead, Roscoe my love." she said. 

"Sad part is," he muttered. "I agree with you."   


***

  
Dinner was again quiet that evening, but there was some talk about the two seconds they had been given to prepare. Like always, whenever_ he _appeared, Bob had gone quiet, picking at his food again. Dot placed a hand on his leg and gave it a slight squeeze, letting him know things would be all right. 

"Things are finally looking up." Kit was saying. "Two seconds to try and get our good name back. Let's not screw this up." 

"Let's not let_ you _screw this up." Jet muttered. 

"You have something to say to me, little brother, you'd better say it." Kit replied. 

"He wants you to stop faqing around and get this case off the ground." Chip said. 

"Hey, if it wasn't for your outburst on the stand today, we wouldn't need to repair anything." Kit retorted. 

"If you had been cross-examining, Chip wouldn't have been on the stand." Matrix shouted back. 

"You wanna end up behind bars, Mr. Murderer?" Kit asked, his anger rising. 

"Kit, that's enough." AndrAIa stated. 

"At least I didn't lie to my own parents about assaulting some two bit virus!" Jet shot back. 

"That's it!" Kit exclaimed, throwing his chair back behind him. "You think you can do a better job at this, then have at it!" 

"I could do a better a job in my sleep!" Jet cried. 

"FAQ you!" 

"Christopher!" Dot exclaimed. 

"No, forget it!" he screamed, slamming down his fork. "I quit!" The young man turned and stormed out of the dinning room. 

"Good going, Jet." Nikki replied. 

"Now, don't you start." Bob pleaded. 

"I'm tired of him trying to push me around all the time!" Jet exploded. "I'm gonna win this case and we are so better for having him off of it!" The teen stood up and, like his brother before him, stormed out of the dinning room, leaving the rest of the table in silence. 


	7. Chapter Six: Viral Reign, Spritely End

** Viral Legacy**  


**Chapter Six: Viral Reign, Spritely End**

  


_"That's your plan?"  
  
Bob folded his arms across his chest. He knew it was risky, hell it was more than risky. It was downright crazy, but it was all he could come up with. "And I suppose you have a better idea?" he asked, sarcastically.  
  
"It's better than what you came up with!" AndrAIa exclaimed.  
  
"Whoa, whoa!" Alex said, calling a halt to the argument. "Same side here, remember? Go team?"  
  
"I admit, Guardian, this is a...some what shaky plan." Phong replied.  
  
Bob sighed. "Look," he said. "It's a basic plan, yeah, I know that, but I really don't have any other plan. And this one is going on the fact that maybe, just maybe, Phong's right and somewhere deep inside, Dot and the boys are coming to their senses."  
  
"But just walking up to the door and demanding to be let in?" Mouse asked. "That's more than risky, darlin'. That's downright..."  
  
"Random, I know." he said.  
  
"I was gonna say insane." Mouse joked.  
  
"Let us not fight." Phong said, bringing the four back to their task. "It is by them that I am allowed to call and talk to you. Let us not waste this precious time."  
  
"Done." Andri said. "If this is gonna work, we need to know what's going on inside."  
  
"And where the hell our children are." Bob whispered, looking at AndrAIa.  
  
_ ***  
  
_"It's quiet." Dot murmured.  
  
"Too quiet." echoed Matrix.  
  
"They're planning something." Enzo said. "They're planning against us, I can feel it."  
  
"Trust me," Dot said, with a smirk. "If Bob's in charge, the plan won't get very far, I can tell you that right now."  
  
"I don't like it." Matrix muttered. "We could have all of Mainframe in our grasp by now and they're holding us back. I say let's just take them out."  
  
"Have you checked on Phong lately?" asked Dot.  
  
"What does he have to do with anything?"  
  
"Did it occur to you, that if Phong has somehow freed himself, he could be sending out a vidwindow right now to alert the others about our plans?"  
  
"That's ridiculous." Enzo said. "Besides, what kind of plan are they going to come up with? We're in charge and we have the means and power to destroy **them**. How do combat **that**?"  
  
Suddenly, a vidwindow popped up in front of them and they could easily see it was Bob, with the girls behind him. They were standing in Dot's other office, located in the Diner, that she could tell. "And how can we help you, Guardian?" she asked, sweetly.  
  
"We want to talk." Bob replied, very business and serious in his tone.  
  
"He wants to talk." Matrix mocked.  
  
"About our surrendering." he added.  
  
Dot smiled, though a bit sadly. "I knew you would." she said. "Front steps in five micros. Alone."  
  
"Front steps in two micros, with Mouse and AndrAIa watching my back." he retorted.  
  
"Bob, we're hurt." Enzo joked. "You act as though you don't trust us."  
  
"Front steps, two micros, Mouse and AndrAIa, Enzo meets you at the door." Dot replied. "Final offer."  
  
"Offer accepted."  
  
"Like you really had a choice." Matrix smirked.  
  
"Two micros." Dot repeated and closed the connection. "Something's up." She said, as soon as the window minimized.  
  
"I agree." Enzo said.  
  
"So why are you sending him out there to meet them?" Matrix asked.  
  
"Why are we even meeting them?" Enzo asked.   
  
"They're surrendering." Dot replied. "Or pretending to. We'll play along for a while."  
  
"Then what?" asked Enzo.  
  
"Don't worry." Matrix said, smiling evilly. "I've got some...insurance that should protect us."  
  
Dot turned to look at him. "What kind of insurance?" she asked, suspiciously.  
  
"The kinda that'll have them** really **surrendering."  
  
_ _***  
  
_ _Bob, Mouse, and AndrAIa zipped quickly over to the front steps of the Principal Office. Landing in front of the steps, the trio walked up them slowly, heading for the door...and possible doom. "You really think this will work?" AndrAIa asked.  
  
"The point, AndrAIa, is to incapacitate them." Bob replied. "If we take them down, at least seperately, they shouldn't be a problem. We just have to hope they haven't infected the entire CPU force."  
  
"With Matrix as Chief of Security, I think the problem could exist." Mouse said.  
  
"I really don't want to leave you alone with him, Andri." Bob said.  
  
"I think I know my husband well enough to know he'd never hurt me." the game sprite replied. "Infected or no."  
  
Soon, Enzo came to the door and opened it from the inside. He allowed the trio ahead of him before closing it again. "So you're really surrendering, huh?" he asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.  
  
"How do you expect us to stop you, Enzo?" Bob asked. "Certainly not the conventional way. What other choice did we have?"  
  
The teen smirked. "None." he said. He started to walk between them, but stopped. "If it's any consellation," he said. "I'm sorry."  
  
"So are we." Bob said.  
  
It took Enzo less than a nano to realize it was a trap. Bob grabbed him from behind, covering his mouth. The young guardian struggled, but soon stopped as he felt dizzy and soon was asleep. "He's not going to stay like that for long." AndrAIa said, her nail shirking back to it's normal size.  
  
"Which means we'll have to put him somewhere he won't be a bother." Mouse replied.  
  
"Well," Bob said. "We have two options. File lock him or put him in Phong's office."  
  
"How long do you think it would take for him to get out of Phong's office?" Mouse asked.  
  
"This is Enzo." AndrAIa said. "He practically grew up in this building. He knows every secret passage, every secret hallway. He could be back with Dot and Matrix before we even had a chance of getting to them."  
  
"I guess we file lock him." Bob replied, dragging Enzo's limp body to one of the file lockers. Bob grabbed a stray chair from the auditorium and pushed it against the door. "At least he'll have to try and find us." he said, standing back and checking out their handy work. A pang of sadness hit the guardian. Above all the viruses he had known and of all that had been infected, this was his worst case to date.  
  
"Come on, Bob." AndrAIa whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder to urge him on.  
  
"Right." he said. "Let's get this over with."  
  
_ _***  
  
_   
_Dot and Matrix waited outside of the war room for their surrendered captives. Dot was becoming increasingly distrustful of Matrix, knowing he had something up his sleeve. She had pressed him on the whole 'insurance' comment he had made earlier, but still he wouldn't say anything about it, just that he had something that would halt any uprising the incoming trio had.  
  
Soom, the three were in their sights, walking slowly towards them in some sort of death march. One thing they did notice was that Enzo was not with them. "Where's Enzo?" the renegade asked.  
  
Bob shrugged. "I don't know." he said. "Said something about checking on some code or whatever. He had been right behind us."  
  
Matrix and Dot exchanged knowing looks. So the plan begun.  
  
"So what now?" Mouse asked.  
  
"We go get Phong." Dot replied. "He's down the hall."  
  
She gestured behind the trio and they turned heading down through the hallway towards door and/or room unseen. Dot and Matrix took up the rear and watched the three. As soon as some distance was put between the siblings and the trio, Dot pushed Matrix into another open corridor. "Got a plan?" Matrix whispered, his back against the wall.  
  
"Don't I always?" Dot asked with a smirk. "Look, I'm gonna get in touch with the CPUs, you get them back to the war room."  
  
"Not a problem."  
  
The two went their sepearte ways, Dot heading down the corridor, while Matrix slowly crept back to the war room. Menawhile, Bob had stopped in front of the first door, waiting for Dot or Matrix to say to open it. But when he looked around, he didn't see them.  
  
"Where are they?" he asked, causing Mouse and AndrAIa to turn as well.  
  
"They were right behind us, right?" Mouse asked.  
  
"Guys, I have a bad feeling about this." the game sprite mentioned.  
  
The group walked back the opposite way, hoping the two siblings hadn't planned anything for their arrival. Of course, they knew it almost likely, especially when Matrix walked out, grinning. "You've got something I want back." he said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Bob asked.  
  
"I'm sure you know where Enzo is, so why bother to go through this?"  
  
"Matrix, listen to me." Bob began. "Now, I know and you know, you're not much of a viral overlord. I also know that somewhere inside you, you're trying to break free of the infection."  
  
"You really think this is a joke, Bob?" he growled, his real eye glowing green, while the mechanical turned red. Just like that, he was back to normal. "As I said," he continued. "You got something of mine and i have something of yours."  
  
Bob couldn't hide the look of panic that briefly crossed his face. What could he possibly...in a nano, Bob saw the reason.  
  
Standing there, with one arm wrapped around her throat and the other around her waist was Chip Matrix. His blue eyes lit up with glow green and his face was contorted in an evil grin. And in his grasp...  
  
"Daddy!" screamed the girl.  
  
"Nikki." Bob whispered, trying to get past the lump in his throat. They had found the children.  
  
_ ***  
  
_Dot made her way down the corridor and stopped in one of the maintence rooms. Getting her organizer out, she quickly brought up the captain of the CPUs. The little binome saluted when he saw her face. "Captain, I want all CPUs to report to the Principal Office immediately." she instructed. "We have some...new recuits that need to be taken care of."  
  
"Yes, sir, ma'am!" he shouted, saluting again. He then lowered his arm and asked, "Sir, ma'am, you are aware that half of our force is under the guardian and his team?"  
  
"Yes." she said, with a small smile. "But that won't be a problem, will it?"  
  
"I'm not sure..."  
  
"Who exactly do you think the new recuits are, Captain?" she asked.  
  
The binome formed an "oh" with his mouth and nodded his head knowingly. "Of course." he said. With that, Dot closed the connection. The binome's shoulders sagged and he sighed. He brought up another vidwindow and got an odd angle of one of the hallways. "Guardian?" he called. "Are you there?"  
  
_ ***  
  
_"Guardian? Are you there?"  
  
Bob removed the small organizer from his hip. "I'm here." he said, his eyes never leaving Matrix, Chip, or his daughter.   
"You were right, Bob." the binome replied. "Miss Matrix has called all available CPUs to the Principal Office."  
  
"Thank you." the guardian replied. "Have them waiting in case something should happen. Bob out."  
  
Matrix smirked. "Dot puts way too much faith in your ability to suck at planning, big brother." he remarked. "I, on the other hand, figured you'd learn something while married to her for all these hours. I had you pegged. Hence why I have...this little procaution." He gestured towards Chip. "Now, like I asked before, you wouldn't happen to know where my little brother Enzo is, would you?"  
  
Bob swallowed hard, supressing the urge to rush forward and grab his child. "He's in the file locker on the first level." he whispered. "Please Chip, don't."  
  
"Take her back inside." Matrix replied, not turning his head from the group. "Now."  
  
Chip sneered at his father, before dragging a kicking and screaming Nikki back into the war room and back into Dot's office. Matrix gestured besides him. "I'll follow you up." he said. Bob started walking towards him. It seemed to go slow, but Bob's look of hatred and anger towards Matrix couldn't begin to bring to surface what the guardian was feeling. Soon, he was swinging a fist at Matrix, one that caught the renegade off guard. Bob then rammed him back into the wall, but he wasn't strong enough for the infected large sprite.  
  
A fist in the back brough Bob down to his knees. He fought to stand up, but Matrix quickly punched him once, then twice, causing Bob to stumble backwards. The guardian then sent an energy blast to the green sprite, catapulting him backwards into the wall, leaving a large indentation. Matrix shook off the shock and began to go for Bob, but was stopped by a familiar trident.  
  
"Why you don't go guys go find Dot, while Matrix and i have a little talk?" AndrAIa suggested.  
  
"AndrAIa..." Bob began but was cut off by Mouse.  
  
"If anyone can handle Matrix, it's Dre, Sugah." she drawled. "Let's find Dot." The hacker pulled the guardian along, hoping against hope her words were true. Matrix glared at his wife, pushing the trident out of harm's way. Some part of him knew Mouse was right. AndrAIa was the one person in the entire Net he couldn't hurt, not even if he was infected. But there was also a part of him that knew she was no match for him.  
  
Not this time.  
  
"Like old times, huh babe?" he asked.  
  
"Enzo, come back to me." she said, her emotions coming close to the surface. "I need you."  
  
There was a moment of recognition before Matrix closed his eyes. "AndrAIa..." he whispered, an inner struggled taking place in his mind and heart. "You need to go. Please AndrAIa, go. I can't guarantee what I could do."  
  
The game sprite swallowed a sob. "You infected our son, Matrix." she said. "Do you really think I'm going to let you get away with that?"  
  
His eyes opened and he stared down his opponent. The look in his eyes made the game sprite back space out of fear, but swallowing that fear, she stood her groud, while spinning her trident in her hand. "You're really not going to hurt me." he said.  
  
"And you're not going to hurt me." she remarked. "We at a stand still?"  
  
Matrix grinned at her. "Hardly." he said, his hands becoming fists.  
  
"You're gonna be at a disadvantage."  
  
"We'll see."  
  
He took a swing at her, which she blocked with the trident. When she went to swing at him, Matrix caught the weapon and used it to flip her on to the floor. Having a momentarily amount of pain, AndrAIa quickly countered and incoming attack by side sweeping Matrix and bringing him down. They quickly jumped back to their feet, glaring at each other. "I'm not so easy." she said.  
  
"Never said you were." he replied, as they started circling each other. "But I'll tell you right now, things would be better if you just surrendered. You can't take me. Not this time."  
  
"Oh really." she replied with a smirk. "Well come on then, Sparky. Bring it on."  
  
_ ***  
  
_Mouse and Bob went running down the hallway, hoping to come by Dot on their way. Bob was still in some slight pain, but he felt more knowing that one, he had left AndrAIa with Matrix and two, that he had left Nikki and probably Jet in the hands of Chip. The whole situation was tearing him apart. His wife and brothers in law were now trying to overtake the system, his brother probably was behind the kidnapping of children by infecting his own son, Bob's nephew, and now the blue guardian had left the husband and wife to battle it outside the war room hallway.  
  
This was not turning out to be a good cycle.  
  
Mouse slowed her speed and looekd around, Bob coming to rest beside her. "Here's a rather basic question, Bob darlin" she said. "But you wouldn't happen to know where Dot could be, do you?"  
  
Bob sighed. "Just like Enzo, as the Command.Com, Dot knows these halls like the back of her hand." he replied. "I think we should find Phong first. He might have an idea."  
  
The two turned to look behind them, knowing they had gone a long ways from where they had started. "There's a bunch of doors and elevators along this hall way..." Mouse mused.  
  
"I know." Bob muttered. "Anyone of them could be where Phong is."  
  
"Or even not." she said. "Remember, Matrix had something planned for just such an emergency. What makes you think Dot didn't plan something as well?"  
  
Bob knew she was right. Dot could've been leading them on a goose chase throughout the entire building. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He brought up an map outline of the P.O. and could see dots on it, one on the level above them, the other somewhere near them. He focuses again and several dots appeared. There were five blips on the very same level they were on, one on the level above, and one on the first level at the public entarnce. Bob knew the furtherest was Enzo. The five on their level...well two of them had to be him and Mouse, something confirmed when his dot emerged as blue. That meant the blip next to him was Mouse and the two moving quickly by the war room were Matrix and AndrAIa.  
  
So one of the two remaining blips had to be Phong.  
  
Or Dot.  
  
_ ***  
  
_The fight between the two warriors was fierce, but not in the sense of loss of energy. Matrix and AndrAIa were each equally matched, both knowing the other's moves. If both wanted an end to it, they would have to tire the other out and that seemed to be happening faster for AndrAIa than for Matrix. They stood, watching each other, breathing heavily. Again they went at each other, AndrAIa's trident going for Matrix's stomach.  
  
The renegade caught the weapon, ripping it from the game sprite's hand and tossing aside. She tried to go for it, but was sideswiped by Matrix, pushing her into the wall. Before she could catch her breath, he had by the throat with one hand and Gun pointed at her head with the other. "Game over, AndrAIa." he growled, Gun pushing against her temple. AndrAIa gulped, closing her eyes to wait for it.  
  
But deletion never came.  
  
Opening her eyes, she could see the conflict going on in his eyes. "Enzo..." she said, trying to remain calm. "Enzo, listen to me."  
  
She could see him faltering, his eyes on the brink of tears.  
  
"Enzo, you have to fight this." she whispered. "Please Enzo. I don't want to lose you, I can't lose you."  
  
Matrix's grip on her throat started to loosen and his hand started to shake, the weight of his weapon seemingly pulling it down. "I'm sorry." he whispered, sniffing.  
  
"I love you, Enzo. Please don't."  
  
"I don't have any control over it anymore." he sobbed, Gun starting to come down from her head.  
  
"Fight it, Matrix, please." she pleaded. "I know you're stronger this."  
  
The renegade's hands dropped from her as he doubled over, apparently in pain. He staggered backwards, Gun dropping from his hand and falling to the floor. AndrAIa thought about grabbing her trident, but the concern for the safety of her husband outweighed the need for a weapon.  
  
Matrix gritted his teeth, as the inner battle raged. He tried fighting, he really did, but what the infection was doing to him made it almost impossible for him to come from it entact. It was weaving its way through his system, through his own codes and corrupting them, turning them towards their own will. The renegade tried fighting, but finally he was silenced. With a primal scream, Matrix the renengade, the guardian, the friend, the brother, the husband, the father became Matrix...  
  
The viral.  
  
AndrAIa watched, transfixed, as matrix's head and body popped up, his eyes almost now completely green in color. She inwardly cursed herself for not getting her trident. "Well, this FAQing sucks." she said to herself. Waving to Matrix, she said "bye!" before taking off down the hall, her husband right behind her.  
  
_ ***  
  
_Bob and Mouse made their way towards the blip that was obviously on the same level they were. Inside, Bob hoped it was Dot, but then again he hoped not. He wasn't sure how far gone the Matrix siblings were and that only increased his worry and fear. He could several memebers of his family in one foul swoop. That only increased his anger for who or what had done this. They didn't have any virals, none except Hexadecimal, but surely she didn't do this. They had already gotten rid of one virus just recently...  
  
Bob almost smacked himself in the face.  
  
Alexander Gain. Of course.  
  
But how? When? When had Gain had the time between assualting them and then attacking his children to infect the Matrixes. And why didn't he just infect the guardian, Bob knew it was him Gain wanted, so why destroy the lives of his family?  
  
Because that's how you destroyed his life, he thought, a sickening reality hitting him in the chest. Bob had deleted his father, causing him hurt. So of course Gain would come and try to delete everyone he cared for. But it was much sinister. In the end, it would be the Matrixes who deleted everyone and Bob would be the one to delete them. His blue features took on a more determined look as he sped up towards the blip that got closer and closer. Bob wasn't going to stoop to his level. He was going to save his family and they'd be fine after this.  
  
Yes, they'd be fine. He knew they would.  
  
His train of thought stopped when he almost collided with said blip. Dot looked at him in surprise and was ready to call in some help, but Mouse caught her off, placing her katana near the commander's throat and taking her organizer from her. "Just take it easy, Sugah." the hacker replied, attaching the pad to her own hip. "I would hate to have to hurt you, Dot."  
  
"Do you really think you're going to stop us?" she asked, looking at Bob. "I have half the CPUs surrounding..."  
  
"No Dot." Bob replied. "I have the** entire** CPUs surrounding the building as we speak."  
  
Dot looked at him in shocked silence. She couldn't believe she had let Bob outwit her like this. Or did she? Was it something she had delibrately? She'd been having the same struggle within herself, trying to keep her true self from falling under the infection. Every so often, she had the control over it, but had to play the front for her brothers. A sudden, sheering pain hit her, as she gritted her teeth in pain. "Bob..." was the last thing she said before falling forward.  
  
Bob was there to catch and he laid her down. "Dot?" he called. "Dot!"  
  
"What happened?" Mouse asked.  
  
"I...I don't know." he said, trying to comfort his wife as best he could. His eyes suddenly grew wide as he looked down the hallway. He had been so tied up in his thoughts and looking for Phong and Dot, he had failed to see the other two blips in front of the war room start to move away at a fast rate. He focused in, seeing a light blue blip going fast, with a green blip behind it.  
  
"Oh no." he said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Matrix and AndrAIa..." he started, going back and forth about leaving Dot or taking her with them. "They're headed for the lab."  
  
_ _***  
  
_ _Phong had his own ways of getting out of his prison. That and the fact he had found a secret hallway he had completely forgot about it. The small sprite set to work on getting to the war room, hopeful that he would find his friends and staff there. When he arrived, from the secret panel in the wall, he was surprised to find it empty.  
  
Or so he thought.  
  
"Nice of you to join our party, Phong." replied a voice.  
  
"Chip." the old sprite said, whirling around to see the young. "Have you been turned as well, my son?" he asked sadly.  
  
"You have my dad to thank for that." he replied, a tad bit bitter from the wise sprite's point of view.  
  
"Tell me, where are your cousins?"  
  
"Being taken care of." Chip said, walking towards him. "Just like I'm take care of..."  
  
Phong back spaced as the boy fell to his knees, a pained expression on his face. "Chip, my son, what is it?"  
  
The boy just made a small groan before passing out.  
  
_ _***_  
_  
_   
_Bob and Mouse quickly made their way towards the Principal Office lab, located near the CPU hanger. Before they started on their way, Bob made a vidwindow to the captain, saying the takeover was nearing a close. He said the younger Enzo Matrix was in the file locker and could be trying to escape and that every man be on a sharp look out. He then said, the larger brother was in pursuit of AndrAIa and that he and Mouse would need all their help in order to subdue him until they found Phong.   
  
As soon as he closed the vidwindow, another popped up with Phong's worried face on the other end.   
  
"Phong!" they exclaimed.   
  
"Just like you to turn up when we need ya." Mouse replied, happily.   
  
"Guardian," he said. "I'm afraid we are racing against the clock."   
  
"Tell me about it." Bob said, picking Dot up in his arms. "I know who the virus that infected them, Phong. I need..."   
  
"Yes, yes, I'll get right on that." he interrupted. "It is more important though that you find Matrix and Enzo."   
  
"Enzo we've got covered as well as Dot." Mouse said.   
  
"Matrix is after AndrAIa."   
  
"Then hurry my son." the wise sprite urged. "We will need him, if not to save his own son."   
  
Bob stopped from taking off. "Chip?" he asked. "What's wrong with Chip? Phong, where are the twins?"   
  
"All will be explained, Bob." Phong insisted. "Just go stop Matrix before...just go stop him!"   
  
The connection closed and Mouse took off, leaving a torn Bob behind her. "Robert, come on!" she yelled to him.   
  
Bob started slowly, but then picked up the pace, making sure he had his wife securely in his arms. The duo reached the lab and found it deserted. Confused, they were about to turn around when AndrAIa came rushing from the side door, Matrix right behind her. Placing Dot on the nearby table, Bob raised his hands and shot an energy blast at Matrix, sending the large sprite into the wall.  
  
"Thanks...thanks...Bob." the game sprite wheezed. She had never ran that fast in her life!  
  
Bob walked over to the renegade cautiously. The blast seemed to take a bit out of him because of his chase with AndrAIa. Matrix crawled away, trying to get away from the guardian. He leaned against a table leg and waited for something. But nothing happened. He looked up and saw Bob standing over him, his hand outstretched. Matrix looked at Bob, then the hand, and then at Bob again. He finally reached up and grabbed it.  
  
"Thanks, Bob." he said, as the guardian pulled him up.  
  
He regarded his former friend before pulling him towards him, planting a knee in his stomach. He grabbed the front of Bob's shirt and swung him around. He cocked his fist and brought it forward. Bob, though in pain, saw the fist coming and quickly ducked, causing the renegade's fist and arm to smash through a glass casing sitting on the table. Matrix cried out, energy seeping through his fingers as he grabbed his arm. He gave another glare at Bob and started towards him, but was stopped by Mouse and her katana.  
  
"What say we end this little game, huh Sugah?" she asked sweetly, the tip of her blade pressing slightly in his throat.  
  
Just then, the CPUs stormed into the room, bringing a med team with them. Matrix gave one last glare before being taken into custody.  
  
_ ***  
  
_Bob sat and looked up at the display that was happening before him. He felt so dark inside, despite the fact that the room was illuminated in light. AndrAIa stood next to him, her hand on Chip's shoulder, while he stood on a chair, looking at the scene before him. Dot stood next to him, the faces were sad, as though they knew what was coming. Bob wasn't sure if it was what would happen to the two sprites they watched or if it was the knowledge their leaders were about to be put away.  
  
In front of them was a large containment field in which the Matrix brothers laid on tables. They struggled against their restraints and cursed the doctrs around them. Said doctors placed various wires and the like in or on the boys to monitor them. To their lefts was a large machine, having been delivered with emergency statsis from the Super Computer. Phong, as acting Command.Com, felt it better to treat the boys here, where their families could keep an eye on them. Besides, the Matrix siblings had nearly brought Mainframe to its knees, imagine what they could do to the Super Computer.  
  
The small sprite stood on the side, watching the activity take place inside. Like Bob, he too felt an ironic sense, feeling dark while standing in a place of light. He looked over his shoulder at the sprites assembled, knowing the emotions that went through them. He knew the risks this procedure would cause to the boys. It was herendous, as Bob had pointed out. The machine would extract the viral coding from the brothers' systems. It would be a long and painful process and even then the suffering would not end. They would be bed ridden for cycles at best and knowing the Matrix children, this would be when their insecurities would take hold.  
  
Each sibling had their own dark thoughts that had taken nanos to develop, but hours to hinder. This new threat only tempted to drive them over the edge. Phong sighed, sadly. So much process snuffed in just a few cycles. He raised his head to see the lead doctor wainting for a conformation to start the purge. Phong nodded and the doctor set to work. Turning on the machine, the Matrix brothers were allowed one last curse before indescriable pain hit them like a brick wall.  
  
Outside the containment field, Dot slowly fell back, Bob rushing to catch her, as Chip sank to his knees. Phong knew this would happen. As Bob suspected, Gain had to be the culprit. But with the virus being banished from Mainframe, they didn't have the time to go looking for him, hence the drastic purge procedure. Phong theorized that the brothers had been infected by Gain and then had turned around and infected Dot and Chip. Because they weren't true virals, it stood to reason Dot and Chip wouldn't need to experience the torture of purging.  
  
Duel, but muffled, screams rang out from the containment field as the purge began, racking through every part of the green sprites' bodies with painstaking inertia. AndrAIa had to turn away, unnable to see her husband and brother in so much pain. Bob felt like breaking down himself, knowing the two would never be the same after this. Knowing he could lose them as they sat watching. _  
  
  
  
  
  
_   
  
_  
  
  
  



	8. Chapter Seven: Recess

** Viral Legacy**  


**Chapter Seven: Recess**

**  
**

  
  
  
The tension in the small hotel hung like a fog cloud in the air. Each combatant went to their rooms, their conversation ending at the dinner table. Kit lay in bed, going over the case files for the trial. He now not only had to save his family, but prove to them, especially Jet, that he wasn't totally incompetent and could lead them to victory. The outburst at dinner was just the stress of everything coming out. His lips thinned as he thought about Jet...his own brother was trying to make him look like a fool in front of everyone. What did he know anyway? He was just a kid. What could he possibly know about...  
  
A sudden knock on the door stopped his train of thought as he looked up. "Come in." he said, laying the file down across his chest. The door opened and Dani poked her head in. "Hey." he said, instantly smiling.  
  
"Hi." she said, closing the door as she came in. She wore a blue bathrobe and her hair hung about her shoulders, still hot from blow drying it. She walked over the bed and sat down. "What're you doing?" she asked.  
  
"Going over transcripts and the like for the trial." he replied, going back over the file he had put down. "We're gonna need to know everyone's stories for cross-examine."  
  
"But at dinner..."  
  
He sighed and put the file down again. "I know what I said." he began. "But it was just stress talking. This whole thing..." he trailed off, rubbing his forehead. He turned to look at her, running the other hand through her hair. "I haven't been very attentive towards you lately." he whispered.  
  
She leaned in to kiss him softly, then again, her tongue running over his bottom lip. He responded in kind, his hand rubbing her thigh. He pulled back to look at her, his eyes displaying the want and desire he had for her, his body also starting to display that same need. "I gotta get back to work." he said, reluctantly, watching as her face registered hurt and slight confusion. "I gotta get prepared. We only have two seconds."  
  
He released her and went back to the file he was reading, internally trying to calm the fire that was building inside. They had many close calls, times when the fire they both shared went on the verge of exploding, but they always drew back and calmed. But now that they were engaged, especially staying in a hotel, Kit's need for her was becoming hard to ignore. With the trial and family battles, it was easy not to think about it. But having her here, next to him, in a bathrobe...it was taking all of his concentration not to pull her into bed.  
  
Dani looked at the blue sprite, in a some what irritated fashion. They had been dancing around taking their relationship further because of one thing. They wanted to wait. That was understandable, but she just didn't want to wait anymore. Kit was the sprite she wanted to marry. Case closed. She wore his ring and would having his children...possibly, if they ever got past the walls. Raising an eyebrow at him, she stood up.  
  
She saw this coming. Undoing the slash on her robe, she let it fall and stood there.  
  
Kit almost didn't hear the object fall, his processor on other things. "Sweetie, I really..." he stated, turning to glance at her. His mouth dropped, taking her in. She wore a sexy green teddy, one that match her eyes and showed off the curves of her body. Kit could feel himself becoming even harder than when they been kissing. "Dani?" he asked or moaned, he wasn't really sure.  
  
Not saying a word, she removed the file from his hand and crawled on top of him. "Dani?" he repeated, but was met with a passionate kiss. When she broke it, he stumbled over his words, his mind trying to stop his body from responding. "I thought...I mean, we..." he began, trying to make some complete sentence. "We were going to wait for...before..."  
  
"We said when the time is right." she whispered. "I know I'm ready. And I have a pretty good idea you are too. Now," she said, straddling him. He watched as she slid the straps off her shoulders, letting the front drop to reveal the tops of her breasts. "Just lay back and enjoy the ride."   
  
She leaned back over claiming his mouth with hers, dropping the front of the teddy from her arms. Her fingers found the buttons of his pajama shirt and within nanos had been undone, her hands exploring his chest. Kit's mind raced, his body reacting to her ministrations. User, he did want this. He really did, but they needed to wait. They couldn't lose themselves. His nipples hardened under her touch and all logic and reason was abandoned. His hands took her by the hips, bringing her down more on top of him. His hips arched to meet her, to make her feel the erection beneath the fabric of his pants.  
  
He heard her moan as their heat met, her hands caressing his stomach and resting near the waistband of elastic that kept his member from being shown. With a moan of frustration, he flipped her over so that he could have the control. His first act was to remove his already opened shirt and tossing is aside. His hands then moved along her, rubbing her shoulders, cupping her breasts, his fingertips running over her stomach. His desire only grew as he rubbed himself against her center, reveling in her moans and sighs.  
  
_ Not like this_, he thought. _You waited to long too let this be just a micro._  
  
He found himself moaning as he lifted off of her. He slowed his breathing then looked down her. Her eyes still held that dark fire, but was also mixed with curiosity and perplextion. His eyes never leaving her face, he removed the teddy completely and let it drop to the floor. Only then did his eyes wander around her body, taking in all of her, and closing his eyes in slight pain as he became even harder.  
  
"Kit?"  
  
"I've dreamed of this." he whispered, opening his eyes and looking into hers. "Of being with you like this."  
  
Dani couldn't help but grin. "You fantasize about me?" she asked, giggling slightly.  
  
Kit chuckled. "All the time." he said. His face was again serious, the fire coming back as he looked down at her. "All the damn time." His eyes did another sweep over. "User, you're sexy." he whispered.  
  
Dani brought his head towards and kissed him, starting the passion that had been between them once more. His lips left hers and trailed off, to her cheek, her ear, and finally to her neck. He left a trail of feather like kisses before finding the spot that made her moan and move under him. He nibbled the area before taking the skin and leaving his mark on her. His hand cupped her breast, squeezing it, and rubbing the erect nibble.  
  
Dani whispered his name, moaning with each touch. Kit left her neck, moving down to the neglected breast. He placed small kisses on either side before his tongue made contract with the bud nestled in the middle. He sucked it gently, his tongue flicking it every so often, causing louder gasps from his fiancee. He moved back to her neck, while his hand traveled lower, running over her stomach and finally reaching between her legs. She gasped, his name on her lips, as he teased her with his fingers. She was moist as one finger slid inside. "Kit!" she cried, arching towards him.  
  
"I've waited so long for you." he whispered in her ear, his finger making slow, deep movements. "You're mine, Dani. Heart, soul, body. No regrets, Cookie. None."  
  
Dani moaned, her hands tugging at his pant bottoms. Removing from her, Kit helped in relieving him of the last garment of clothes. One hand brought him back to her, her tongue probing his mouth, as the other went lower, her fingertips running over his erection. Kit broke the kiss to moan deeply, his cries telling her to continue. Soon, her hand enclosed him and stroked him slowly, causing an in take of breath. "Yes..." he moaned, his hands clutching the sheets. His voice was breathy, his moans escaping from the back of his throat.  
  
Kit could feel the fire increasing and knew if she didn't stop, he'd be too tired to show her how he felt. Reaching down, he removed her hand, bringing it so it was above her head. They stared at each other, knowing what would come next. She caressed his face, reaching up and running her fingers through his hair. Kit gulped, knowing that before their pleasure, there would be pain. He had to will himself not to just take her, that she would need to adjust to him. He looked at her, the same thoughts going through her head as well. He wanted to know if they should stop, if they could go this far, but then be able to back off.  
  
He never got that.  
  
If anything, her expression told him she knew the risks and she still wanted him, wanted him to complete the event they had started. "Dani," he began, but she stopped the words with a kiss.  
  
"I know." she whispered. "No regrets, Bobby. None."  
  
Getting the confirmation he needed, he proceeded. He started slow, loving the feeling of being inside of her, loving the sounds she made, as each thrust became deeper and deeper. When he felt her resistance, he thought about stopping, but she moaned, "please." and it was hard for him to stop. In one quick motion, he had broken her seal, making her his. He stayed that way, watching pain go to pleasure on her face. He kissed her lips, her cheek, her chin, needing to know he hadn't hurt her too bad. She gave a small protest when he didn't continue, so he kissed her deeply before starting again.  
  
Their moans became louder, higher in pitch, as the movements became faster. She clung to him, listening to him moan in her ear. She said his name, as he continued. He could feel her tighten around him, all of his control lost, and with one last push, he joined her in crying out in their completion.   
  
Kit slowed his breathing and nuzzled against her cheek. With care, he removed himself, ignoring the protest she gave, and hugged her to him. He kissed her forehead, then he nose, before gently kissing her on the lips. She sighed happily, snuggling deeper in his arms. She drew little circles on her chest, before finally writing her name with her fingernail. Kit again kissed her forehead. "I love you." he murmured.  
  
"I love you." she echoed, dropping a kiss on his chest.  
  
'Thank you."  
  
"For?"  
  
Kit shook his head. "Everything." he said. "I don't know. How do you say thank you for being there when you're needed, being the person you are, making everything in my life better than I could've expected?"  
  
She giggled, before looking up at him. "You just did." she said.  
  
He shook his head again. "It's not enough." he whispered. "It doesn't say everything I feel, especially now." He rubbed the back of her neck. "_ Especially_ now."  
  
"Don't stop to analyze, Doctor." she said, placing her cheek back on his chest. "Just enjoy."  
  
He hugged her closer, sighing. With things the way they were, he _needed _to enjoy this.  
  
***  
  
Everything was quiet in the hotel. Kit and Dani lay cuddled in each other's embrace, as were Sabrina and Roscoe, who were down the hall. Nikki slept peacefully, as did her parents. Enzo lay in bed, watching his wife eat the bed time snack he gone and made her, his hand resting on her enlarged tummy. They had made up, of course, like they always at this time. Alex ran a finger along his jaw, the two talking about their lives with a baby in it. Chip lay asleep, headphones to a mp3 player attached to his ear, the variety of music drifting slowly from it.  
  
Jet lay awake, staring up the ceiling. He had been like that since dinner, coming up here to be away from everyone. Deep inside, he knew Kit wasn't going to quit, not when he could win the approval of everyone by winning this case. Jet sighed, bitterly, knowing that's probably what was going to happen. Kit would win, of course, and then Jet would continue being the "little brother", being treated like the second class child he was now. No! Not this time. Jet was tired of being the brother of Dr. Christopher Lan, tired of being Nikki's brother. He was tired of...he rolled over on his side.  
  
He wasn't sure what he was tired of.  
  
He just knew there was a feeling inside of him that screamed for the kind of attention Kit got, the kind Nikki got from their parents, their family. But he wasn't sure how to go about getting that attention. As far as he knew, this could just be another case of sibling rivalry. It could pass...but it hadn't. It hadn't passed in the six hours since Gain had been to the system. It hadn't passed since learning of his powers those hours ago. And just like Kit -_Just like Kit_, Jet spat- he had ignored them, willed them away, while Nikki embraced them.  
  
This trial was what Jet needed. He needed to be in charge of this trial and win it, but that would never happen as long as Kit was in charge. Thinking about his brother almost made him sick. Everyone treated him like he was a gift from the User himself, like he could do no wrong. Hell, they treated Chip Matrix like a juvenile delinquent and he still had more respect than Jet did. Jet set his lips in grim determination._ He_, not Kit, was going to lead this case, and he was going to prove to his family, to everyone that he could be just as cool and user like.  
  
One way or another.  
  
In another bedroom, two more occupants lay awake in bed, thinking over recent events. Matrix sighed and looked over at the sprite who had shared his bed for thirty-five hours. The urge to reach over and hold her close was begging to be done, but he knew he shouldn't. She'd shrug him away and he'd be back to where he was now, hands behind his head, looking up. He felt a system crash coming, he knew it. After the last one he had, he thought things could never get so bad again. But of course they had. Things they had worked on in the past were coming back to haunt him. His thoughts went back to that dark time in his life.  
  
He could lose her again. He could lose her permanently this time.  
  
AndrAIa too was awake, rolled on her side, trying her best not to let her tears fall. Things were falling apart. Again. As soon as they fix one crisis, there was another one to take its place. She wasn't even mad at him any more. If anything, she was worried. The ball was in their court now and she prayed to the highest User above he didn't put_ any _of them on the stand. She wasn't sure they could do it. She knew she couldn't. If Kit was serious about putting her on the stand to testify in Matrix's defense...she couldn't...no, _wouldn't_ ...get up there, not when she knew the whole truth behind what happened. She couldn't. It would only do more harm than good.  
  
***  
  
  
Somewhere else in the system, a meeting took place. In the lower section of downtown, a motel stood. Inside, a plan was being hatched. Packard entered the dark and moldy place, making sure not to touch anything. He saw the manager, a one binome who sat reading a pornography read me file, and asked for room 231. The one continued to ogle the pictures, while pointing upstairs. Packard didn't bother to thank him.  
  
The retired businessman climbed the stairs, staying clear from those sprites and binome who asked him for some "company". He tried not to breath in the dank smells that attacked his nostrils, the smell of vomit, drugs, and booze. Reaching his destination, after stepping over some passed out sprite lying on the floor, he knocked. A familiar "come in" rang out and Packard entered. Closing the door behind him, he was surprised to see this room in wonderful condition. The curtains were red velvet lace, with gold trim. The rugs were clean and in the middled was a large table, where a quanity of food lay in front of two other sprites.  
  
"Hey, you made it." exclaimed McMillian, who gestured to a nearby seat.  
  
"How in the Net...?" the blue sprite began, but was stopped by Gain.  
  
"You can't fault a sprite for wanting to stay low and yet relish in the finer things." the virus replied. He handed a glass of chilled spirits to the man, who took it and then the offered seat.  
  
"I know what you're thinking." McMillian said. "How in the FAQ did I get a room like this? I'll tell you. It helps if you know people."  
  
"And I'm sure in your line of business, Mr. McMillian, you know a lot of people." Packard replied, sipping on his drink.  
  
McMillian laughed. "I like you." he said. "You're a man after my own heart. Listen Bob..."  
  
Packard slammed down his glass, causing some of the contents to spill out. "Don't ever call him that." he growled. "That's the boy's name."  
  
Gain looked at Vance, a small grin on his face. Vance gulped. "Yes, of course." he said. "My apologizes. Mr. Packard, Alex and I...how do I put this delicately? Ah, yes. We want revenge on your family."  
  
"They aren't my family." Packard spat. "The only family I had is buried in a funeral park in the SC."  
  
"Fair enough." Gain replied. "Vance and I knew we could count on you. It's better if you aren't too involved in the matter in order to carry it out."  
  
"Cut the chit chat." the blue sprite demanded. "What exactly is this plan you got worked out?"  
  
"Right now, the Matrix bunch is headed for a long sentence in the SC holding cell." Vance said. "I say we help them to it."  
  
"It's a rather simple plan." Gain continued. "Too simple for my tastes. They're too smart, you know this, Van. Way too smart for their own good." Turning to Packard, he asked, "Do you know what it's like, Mr. Packard, to have the ultimate power in your grasp and then to have it all taken away in an instant?"  
  
"Those powers..." Packard began. "You said you can get rid of them?"  
  
"Basically, Mr. Packard," Gain stated. "You tell me which one of your grandchildren you want to live and I'll spare them my wrath."  
  
"If I was so inclined, I say there was no hope for any of them." the blue sprite muttered. "Except Jetison. I can almost see in his eyes, he wants something...something more than that family can give him. And I want to stop him from ending up like his brother."  
  
"And Kit? Or even his twin sister?" McMillian asked.  
  
"I'll take responsibility for young Phoenix Lan." Gain said, a wolfish grin on his lips. "A virus, like a sprite, needs to continue his line of linage."  
  
"What of the Matrix children?"  
  
"They will be destroyed." Gain replied. "I hope that isn't a problem."  
  
"There is one unfinished matter." Vance replied. "Delete the boy, Matrix's son, for all I care. Keep his daughter alive. I'm starting anew and I want my title belt back. I'm sure Roscoe will see to things...on my terms...when he learns his girlfriend is in dire straits."  
  
"So let me get this straight," Packard started. "We've been sitting here talking about what we want to do to them. What exactly are we going to do?"  
  
"If what I've seen so far is any indication," McMillian said. "I think Kit is going to botch up this case, sending his family to prison. All we have to do is help it along. Alex has yet to be cross-examined and I've...let him in on some secrets about our 'favorite family' and defense attorney. Also, it's defense's turn. What makes you think they won't put their own people up? I say we sit back and watch them hang themselves."  
  
"Then, when the Matrixes are being led away in restraints," Gain continued. "We'll just take what they can't protect."  
  
Packard sighed, looking at both sprites. "If you ask me, this is a shaky plan at best." he said.  
  
"If you have better ideas, please tell us, oh great father." the virus mocked.  
  
"Hey," Vance said. "If this doesn't work, we'll just take what we want. It shouldn't be hard, with Alex's powers, to hold those sprites back. All I know is, they have something of ours and we all want it back. We'll be patient and let them give it to us. When we don't get it, we'll take it. And this time, _we'll _be the ones to walk away unscaved."  
  
"And they'll be deleted." Packard replied.  
  
Gain and Vance looked at him, his face some how sadder than before. "If you want your son spared, Robert..." Vance began, earning a look from Gain.  
  
The blue sprite's face suddenly turned red. "He needs to pay for what he did to her." he whispered, in a hushed manical tone.  
  
"They'll pay all right." Vance said.  
  
"One way or another."  
  
***  
  
The next morning at breakfast, very few members were down for breakfast. Roscoe, Sabrina, and Nikki all went out for their fast food. Enzo and Alex were having theirs upstairs, Matrix sat at the table having a bowl of meal bytes, while AndrAIa stayed upstairs having her breakfast. Bob and Dot decided to keep their brother company, when Kit came through the door, file in hand, and still in his pajamas.  
  
"Hey Kit." Bob greeted, patting the seat to him. "Have some breakfast?"  
  
"I'm actually going to be eating upstairs today." Kit replied, quickly getting a glass of juice. "Have to go over these files, you know."  
  
Bob and Dot looked at each other. It was as if the other didn't happen. "How'd you sleep last night?" his mother asked.  
  
"Fantastic." he said, a dreamy look coming to his face, remembering the night he had. Realizing he had just about admitted to sleeping with his girlfriend, he quickly turned to the trio and said, "Fantastic! Those pillows are just...just great. Nice on the back and arches of the neck." He sipped his juice, trying to see if any of them caught his slip.  
  
"They are nice pillows." Bob commented.  
  
"Yes." Kit replied. "Well, hope you all enjoy."   
  
He finished the rest of his juice, grabbed an energy bar, and headed back out of the kitchen. Opening the door, he took a look at the transcripts from the second Gain had taken the stand. They never did cross-examine him. That would be on his to do list. As he headed for the stairs, his attention was only taken away as he saw Dani coming down them. "Hey." he said, stopping to chat.  
  
"Hey yourself." she purred, laying a hand on his chest. "I was just coming down to get some breakfast."  
  
"Are you eating in your room?" he asked.  
  
She got closer to him. "All depends." she whispered.  
  
"All right, you two." came a voice. The pair looked over to see AndrAIa leaning against the wall across from them. "Break it up. I'm sure there's a rule about making out on the stairs."  
  
Dani giggled, while Kit blushed. "I'll see you in a few." she said, dropping a kiss on his lips. She then headed down and into the kitchen.  
  
"Sleepless night?" she asked.  
  
"No actually." he responded, with a grin "It was rather...peaceful."  
  
"Well, just keep in mind that your parents share the room down the hall." she stated.  
  
Immediately, the young doctor was alarmed. "You don't think they heard, do you?" he asked.  
  
The game sprite shrugged. "Walls could be thick, could be thin." she replied. "Just be on your guard, Stud." With that, she watched as Kit trudged up the stairs, a new crisis now entering his porcessor.  
  
She stood there for a bit, chuckling. She was coming down the stairs when she had seen them, Dani's hand on his chest, his resting partially inside her own pajama bottoms and top. Right away, AndrAIa knew. It reminded her of when she and Matrix acted that way, after their first times together. How they had to be in constant contact with each other. Her smile disappeared slightly as she thought about the large sprite sitting in the kitchen. This trial was doing nothing for their marriage and the memory of when they had been apart seeped in to her processor.  
  
_No_, she thought. _That's not going to happen again._  
  
Sighing, she went back upstairs to her bedroom.  
  
Meanwhile, behind the small bed and breakfast, Jet stood, leaning against the wall. He took another puff on the small fire wire in his hand, keeping a sharp lookout for any family members. Wouldn't that be a sight to see? Little baby Jet smoking. He had almost forgotten how he had even gotten into the habit, especially seeing as no one in his family smoked. He figured it had been an experiment thing, something he wanted to try in a time of stress, then he just started doing it.  
  
The funny thing was, it actually _did_ relax him. He had been so stressed lately, with everything going on, he needed a release. Seeing as he didn't have a girlfriend or a fiancee or a wife, one possibility was out. Make that two, the need to even think of it wasn't too appealing for the teenager. He hadn't been to bed, well not really. He had been there, but he doubted he did much sleeping. All he could think about his family going to prison. He was having a reoccuring nightmare, where he would lose the case and everyone laughed at. Or worse, Kit would _win _the case and he would be praised like he always was. That was the nightmare he was living anyway.  
  
He took one last puff, before flicking the wire to the ground. It was that time again.  
  
Time to work on case files with his highness.  
  
***   
  
  
The two seconds went by faster than anyone could hope for, especially for the Lan brothers, who had slowly gotten on each other's nerves and had been battling it out since their first second of recess. The family was now gathered back in the makeshift courtroom, as was the prosecution and the crowd of spectators. Kit had planned for this second, despite what Jet said, he was going with his plan. Riley arrived and sat down, as did the rest of the counsil and Kit stood.  
  
"You've had two seconds, Dr. Lan." Riley replied. "Let's see what you got for us."  
  
"Defense calls...Enzo Matrix, Sr. to the stand." he said, calmly, ignoring the outburst that came from his own table.  
  
"Are you random?" Jet exclaimed, as he watched their uncle hesitantly move towards the witness stand.  
  
Kit yanked his arm away from Jet, who had grabbed it in shock. "Shut up and sit down." he growled. "I think I know what I'm doing." He moved away from the table, leaving Jet huffing and puffing with anger. "Mr. Matrix," he began. "Please state your relationship with the defendants."  
  
"I'm Enzo and Dot's brother." Matrix said.  
  
"Mr. Matrix, your character and actions have come under play in this trial." Kit said. "Perhaps you can straighten that out in your own words. First of all, what was your role in the viral takeover of Mainframe?"  
  
Matrix sighed and said, "I, along with my sister and brother, took over Mainframe."  
  
"Was this a planned attack?" Kit asked. "Did you and your siblings sit around and talk about how you would do this?"  
  
"No." the renegade stated. "Enzo and I were infected. We weren't in control of the situation."  
  
"And your role in the attack of Alexander Gain?"  
  
Matrix narrowed his eyes. "Who do you think infected us?" he growled, causing the court to gasp collectively.  
  
Riley banged his gavel. "Simmah down." he called.  
  
"No further questions." Kit headed back to the defensive table, smirking at Jet as he sat down.  
  
"So you've explained two incidents." Peters replied, walking over to the green sprite. "What about Cody Richson?"  
  
"That was an accident." he whispered.  
  
"An accident." Peters repeated.  
  
"I was trying to shoot the User and he grabbed my gun." Matrix explained. "It went off and...well, you know."  
  
"Hmmm." Peters said. He started walking back to his table, when he stopped. "How long have you known your wife, Mr. Matrix?"  
  
"Since...since we were kids." he replied, taken aback by the question.  
  
"So, you got closer as you grew up?" prosecution asked. "In the games?"  
  
Matrix held up his left hand. "Seems like it, huh?"  
  
"Did you love her?"  
  
"Objection." Jet said. "Relevance."  
  
"I'm building up to something." Peters replied.  
  
"Answer the question."  
  
"Did you love her then, Mr. Matrix?" Peters repeated.  
  
"I think so." Matrix whispered. "I'm sure I did."  
  
"Did you love her when you met Cody Richson?"  
  
"Objection."  
  
"Over ruled." Riley responded.  
  
Matrix was silent, contemplating the question. "I probably did." he whispered.  
  
"Did you argue?" Peters asked. "In that game?"  
  
"Objection!" Jet cried, looking at Kit with fury in his eyes.  
  
"Stop objecting so much, Mr. Lan." Riley replied. "We can't hear the facts when you do."  
  
"What?" Matrix asked.  
  
"Did you and AndrAIa argue in that game?" Peters asked. "Or was it you and Cody that were having the argument?"  
  
"I will never forgive you for this, Kit." AndrAIa whispered in her nephew's ear.  
  
"You knew he was going on that stand." he shot back.   
  
"You've just ruined us." Jet said.  
  
Kit turned to him, his anger now pin-pointed on his brother. "You stay out of this, little brother." he said. "I'll deal with you later."  
  
"Were you fighting over her?" Peters continued.  
  
"Nnnno."  
  
"Is that how the 'accident' started?" Peters pushed. "Was Cody flirting with her, making you jealous and you just had enough? Did you shoot Cody because he was hitting on your girlfriend?"  
  
"She wasn't my girlfriend." Matrix whispered, that horrible second coming back to him. "I didn't mean to shoot him."  
  
"It was an accident." Peters replied. "He was flirting with the sprite you loved and you couldn't take it. You pulled your gun, raised it..."  
  
"Objection!" Jet exclaimed, standing. "There were four faqing people in that game. Matrix, AndrAIa, Cody, and the User. There's no telling what happened. Prosecution is way out of line for this line of questioning."  
  
"I agree with Mr. Lan." a council member said. "We have no way of knowing if what Mr. Matrix says is true or not." Looking at the stenographer, he said, "Strike Mr. Peters' questioning about the deletion of Cody Richson. At least, up to the point when he asks about Mrs. Matrix."  
  
The girl nodded and did so.  
  
"No more questions then." Peters said, going back to his table.  
  
"You may leave, Matrix." Turbo said, looking at the renegade.  
  
Matrix mutely nodded and left the witness stand. He resumed his seat at the defense, seemingly shellshocked by the questioning. AndrAIa knew. He was going to shut down any nano.  
  
"Defense recalls Alexander Gain, sir." Kit replied, his own shock being replaced with his hatred for the virus. "As a hostile witness."  
  
Gain smiled as he retook the stand, causing a fire to rise in Kit.  
  
"Did you or did you not infect both Enzo Matrix, Junior and Senior?" Kit asked.  
  
"I believe that's conjecture." Gain said.  
  
"Answer the damn question."  
  
"I may have." Gain replied coldly. "Call it...retrobution."  
  
"What was your reason for coming to Mainframe?"  
  
"I told you last time." Gain replied. "Revenge."  
  
"Against who?" Kit asked.  
  
"Prime Guardian Lan." Gain said. "Would you like to know why, Dr. Lan?"  
  
"No." Kit said.  
  
"Well, council would." Turbo said. He looked at Gain. "What was the reason for your targeting Robert Lan, sir?"  
  
"Because he murdered my father."  
  
The court again went into a flurry. Jet pounded his fist on the table, a steel gaze on Kit. That was it. They were finished. Riley again called the court to order. "I would think you'd know something about murder yourself, councilor." Gain replied.  
  
"Objection." Kit said. "Who's the lawyer here?"  
  
"Neither of you." Riley sneered.  
  
"Why don't you tell the court about the people you've murdered?"  
  
"Objection." Jet replied.  
  
"I want to hear this, so I'm sure the other members of council would too." Riley said. "What excatly do you mean, Mr. Gain?"  
  
"Why, Mr. Riley, you don't know?" Gain asked. "Kit deleted an opponent while in the UFL."  
  
Kit lunged at Gain, grabbing him by the shirt. Riley quickly got some of the guards on him, who quickly pulled him off. "I had to!" Kit yelled, as he was dragged away.  
  
"Calm yourself, Doctor!" Riley exclaimed. "Or I will hold you in contempt, sir!"  
  
"That son of a null tried to delete me!" Kit cried.  
  
Riley motioned with his gavel to the guards, who hauled a screaming Kit from the court. Jet stood, knocking the files from his table. "Unless you want to join your brother, Mr. Lan, I suggest you calm yourself as well." Riley said.  
  
Jet ran a hand through his hair. "Yes sir." he said. "I apologize for his actions and mine as well."  
  
"I think we've had enough excitement for one second." one council member replied. "We'll reconvein tomorrow, 0900 and Mr. Lan, I expect you and your team of councilors to behave themselves."  
  
"Yes ma'am." Jet replied. "I assure you, we'll be weeding out the kinks before tomorrow."   


  



	9. Chapter Eight: Aftermath

** Viral Legacy**  


**Chapter Eight: Aftermath**

**  
**

  
_AndrAIa lay in bed, looking at Frisket in worry. "Where is he, Frisket?" she asked the dog, who seemed to mimic a shrug to the question asked. The game sprite tapped her fingers on the bed spread, waiting anxiously for her friend to return. Enzo hadn't been the same since that game...that game where...she shook her head. She didn't even want to remember it, but how could she forget? He had shot someone and not for protection either. It was an accident, that she was sure of, but every time she thought about it, she asked herself one question._  
  
_ Was it really an accident?_  
  
_ She had seen the jealously that went through the renegade, the hate he had towards the older, handsome Cody, but did he really mean to delete the boy? AndrAIa wasn't really sure. She didn't know if Matrix had removed the gun because he saw the User or if he removed the gun and** then ** saw the User. It was a complicated question that could only be answered by one person, who just happen to be somewhere else._  
  
_ They had found the user, of course, and then left with the game, unsure of what to do. They both felt cowardly for the act, but as Enzo had mentioned time and time again, the more time they wasted, the less time they had to finding Mainframe and that was important. One second, they could come back and admit to what had happened, but now, they were on a quest. They had used that game to go to another system, where they hopped to another, then stayed in the game they were now in._  
  
_ It was a murder mystery game set in a hotel, thankfully. That meant the two game hoppers had a warm bed to sleep in and decent food to eat until they got to the next system. Unfortunately, AndrAIa saw very little of Enzo that entire time. They beat the game of course, but afterwards Enzo would sulk off somewhere and she would never see him until the next morning, already set to go. Well, this time, she was waiting up for him. She knew the events of Cody's deletion weighed heavily on him and she needed him to talk to her._  
  
_ They couldn't afford to have him turn in on himself._  
  
_ AndrAIa's head perked up when she heard footsteps coming from the hallway and stopping at the door. Sure enough, it was Matrix, trying to sneak back inside without waking her. He had been out walking, trying to gather his thoughts. Truth be known, he hadn't been himself since...the incident. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the image out of his head. Cody gasping, clutching his chest, then falling to the ground, slowly fading away. He had felt empty ever since._  
  
_ He had never deleted anything before._  
  
_ Oh, he had wanted to delete people, especially viruses. They had run into a few while hopping, but he had never delete any of them. Incapacitated them, yes, but never deletion. He could never bring himself to do it...until Cody came along. It was a freak accident that would haunt the boy turned renegade for life. He had never meant for that to happen, but it did and he hadn't felt right about the whole thing. Now, as he tried to creep back inside, he hoped he didn't have to explain it._  
  
_ "Enzo?"_  
  
_ He looked up, as the lamp flicked on and he saw her sitting in bed, probably waiting for him. "Go back to sleep." he said, walking over and absently scratching Frisket._  
  
_ "Not until you tell me what's wrong." she insisted, watching as he removed Gun from his hip. He paused, looking at it, then putting it on the night stand, pushing it as far away from him as possible. "Enzo, I know something's wrong." she whispered, standing and wrapping her arms around his waist. "Talk to me, Enzo. Please."_  
  
_ Matrix just stared down at the gun, his emotions starting to take control. Things seemed to be getting worse and worse out here. He had resolved that they would never find Mainframe and that he, Enzo Matrix, would become a hardened sprite, who's passion was to delete things. AndrAIa was right. He had changed. Gone were the seconds of joy and laughter. Now was the time for constant, overwhelming pain. He was becoming numb, numb to the fact of the world they had just entered._  
  
_ AndrAIa watched as his face seemed drained of all emotion, but the lone tear that fell didn't escaped. She turned him towards her and embraced him, his head resting on his shoulder. That's when he cried. He had tried to keep that personal, emotional side to himself, but she knew. She knew of the nights he had cried himself to sleep those first nights away from home. No matter how tough he wanted to be, how he wanted to distance himself from the alter ego he thought he needed to abandon...he was still a scared little boy, with only her for company and companionship. Sometimes even **she** wondered if she was what he needed._  
  
_ He needed more of course, but what he needed was now far from their grasp._  
  
_ His sobs quieted, as he hugged her close. It was times like these he knew he loved her, had fallen madly and deeply in love with her. He had enough guilt with knowing that he had returned her to a prison he helped her escape from, but on the upside, what would he do without her? He would've gone random by now, probably been pushed to the ultimate act of self deletion, but with AndrAIa around...those thoughts, however strong at times, could always be lessened with her around. He needed her, it was that simple._  
  
_ "Pretty basic, huh?" he sniffed, lifting his head and looking at her._  
  
_ "What?" she asked._  
  
_ "Me."_  
  
_ "I don't think you're basic."_  
  
_ They looked at each other, an almost unspoken message being broadcast between them. It was if they knew how they felt towards one another, knew that they were falling in love and wanted to be with each other. Matrix couldn't hide the blush that came to his cheeks, as he looked away. User, she was pretty and she smelled pretty and..._  
  
_ "Coming to bed?" she asked. He nodded and released her._  
  
_ Turning out the light, AndrAIa yawned and laid down, awaiting her friend to join her. She didn't give it a second thought, as he lay next to her, arm around her waist and head resting near her shoulder. They had been sleeping like this since they first entered the games. It had only been awkward after they had awoken that first night. It was as if...as if they were **meant** to be together, meant to share the same bed._  
  
_ Her arms wrapped around his neck, gently running a few fingers through his hair and down the back of his neck. "We'll get home, Enzo." she whispered. "And you'll be the one to lead us back and find Bob. I believe in you, Enzo Matrix, I truly do."_  
  
_ "What about...?" he asked, unable to mention what he was thinking._  
  
_ "It was an accident." she whispered. "You didn't mean to do it."_  
  
_ "I didn't want to hurt him." he sighed. "At least...not like that. Not...not..."_  
  
_ "I know." she said, kissing his cheek. "We can't go back and change things. We have to move forward if we ever want to see Mainframe again."_  
  
_ They were silent for a time, to a point AndrAIa thought he had drifted off to sleep. He turned to look at her and she caressed his cheek. "You need to shave." she said, a small grin on her face._  
  
_ "I know." he replied. "I'm thinking about just growing a beard. Saves time."_  
  
_ "Hmm..." she said, tracing his jaw with her finger. "I think you'd look sexy with a beard."_  
  
_ "Really?" he whispered, falling under her spell. She nodded._  
  
_ "The only problem would be keeping the other girls away from you." she joked._  
  
_ "I don't want any other girl." he blurted, causing her to look at him._  
  
_ He didn't know what had come over him, but he leaned over and kissed her, savoring the feel of her lips on his. He pulled away slowly, seeing the look of shock and...something else in her eyes. What, he wouldn't be sure of for at least another hour, but he had seen it. But it was the small look of shock that caused him the embarrassment. "Well, I'm tired. Goodnight." he said, once again resting his head on her shoulder, eyes closed and pretending to be asleep._  
  
_ AndrAIa couldn't stop the playful grin that came to her face. Oh, they had their little pecks here and there, but that was the first time it lasted longer than a peck and the first time **he** had done it. Maybe he did feel the same. She was certainly hoping this was a new step in their everlasting friendship._  
  
***  
  
Kit sat on a cold, hard bench down in a holding cell. He couldn't believe he was even there. Him! He didn't like it down here and he certainly didn't like that pale yellow sprite that kept staring at him from across the room. If anything, Kit was becoming very claustrophobic. He hadn't been in a cell since the UFL and being here only brought back memories. He shook his head. No, being here didn't bring back memories. Gain had. He couldn't believe Gain had brought up that survival tactic up in the court. Now, not only was his uncle and father accused of murder, so was he.  
  
He looked around him, feeling a headache coming on. He needed to get out of here. Better yet, he needed to work on this case. They were sinking and sinking fast and now him landing in jail for contempt would only make a bigger rift between him and Jet. His own brother. He couldn't believe it. His own brother thought he was screwing up this case. Well, to be perfectly honest, he was. He was a doctor, damn it! Not a FAQing lawyer! He was doing the best he could with all that was being pushed in his face. And his clients were no help.  
  
It be one thing if they all didn't do what they were accused of.  
  
He was now looking at ~at least~ four murder counts, one assault, ~no, make that two~ arson...the list went on and on and on. How the Dell did they get involved in crap like this? They were an ordinary family, very close, well knit. Model, if you were to be perfectly frank. But underneath it all, ha! His father had apparently committed, not one, but _two_ homicides. His uncle had committed a homicide. His cousin was an arsonist. His other cousin was implicated in an assault, as were both of his uncles. He himself was implicated and participated in that very assault and now, he was being accused of murder as well.  
  
Their family reunions should be so exciting.  
  
Kit looked up and saw the pale yellow sprite looking at him again. He turned his head, secretly grimacing. _Okay,_ he thought. _Any nano, someone's coming with bail. Oh User, please, let someone be coming with bail because I'm already engaged and I don't make a very good manbi..._ "Lan!" called the guard, snapping Kit from his thoughts. "Someone posted yur bail." Kit jumped up as Dani and Nikki came around the corner.  
  
"Oh man, you have_ no _idea how happy I am to see you girls." he said, excitedly.   
  
The guard unlocked the doors, yelling at prisoners to settle down and be quiet. The trio was silent as they made their way upstairs and out the doors. Kit didn't know where he had been taken until they got outside. Apparently, the holding cells were housed in a building adjacent to the court where their trial was being held. Kit smiled, as he felt the warmth of the sun on his face. But his smile quickly faded as he saw the girls' faces.  
  
"You are in so much trouble right now." Nikki stated. "Jet's called a family meeting later today."  
  
"Do I look like I give a flying FAQ as to what Jet's doing?" Kit asked.  
  
"You'd better listen, Christopher." Dani replied. "Things aren't going so well."  
  
"Don't you think I know that?"  
  
"Listen up, big brother." Nikki stated, hands on her hips. "You know Jet and I have that...mind thing going...and believe me when I say, things aren't looking up for you."  
  
"I don't believe this." he said, looking back and forth between them. "Have the two of you lost your faith in me? Huh? Is that what you're saying?"  
  
"No." Dani said.  
  
"Possibly." Nikki replied at the same time. She shrugged when Kit gave her a look. "Hey, I was behind you every step of the way before your little temper tantrum in court. You're screwing us over, Kit."  
  
"If that's how you feel, fine." he said, after a moment. "I'm officially kicking you off counsel."  
  
"Oh, like I was doing so much anyways." Nikki retorted. "This whole thing is about you and Jet and who's gonna be the winner. Well, let me tell_ you _something, Doctor. The two of you are going to be so busy trying to screw the other, that you're going to put our parents behind bars. And when that happens, the both of you are going to be looking forward to a major whoop ASCII courtesy of me."  
  
Without no further words, Nikki kicked up her zipboard and flew off.  
  
***  
  
  
_Bob sat, his head in his hands. It had been a cycle since his brothers had been purged and both slipping into comas. He knew that would happen. It would take awhile for their systems to be fully functioning again. It would be touch and go really and once they re-emerged into life, they would still have emotional difficulty. The guardian looked up. So far, Nikki and Jet were curled up on the bench and floor, sleeping. They had been safe, thank the User, but scared out of their wits. And of course, Bob had to explain as gently as he could that Enzo and Matrix were in bad shape.  
  
Nikki had cried for her mother and Jet looked around for Chip, Bob not knowing where either of them was. He had let Mouse watch them while in went in search of at least his wife. He had found her, after looking for what seemed like thirty micros, in a small corner, facing the wall. "Dot?" he asked, approaching her cautiously.  
  
"Go away, Bob." she whispered, her hand bracing herself against the wall.  
  
She was still weak, Phong had said. Though she and Chip had been spared the purge, it was no less traumatic. As Phong explained, at least in part, because Matrix and Enzo weren't viruses by trade, their infection was not permanent and easily receded as they were purged. But the viral pull Dot and Chip still had made it seem as though they themselves had gone through the purge. Phong had pulled the guardian over and said it could be something else, something much deeper that could effect the Matrix clan.  
  
"You know I can't do that, Dot." he whispered.  
  
"Please go."  
  
"Dot," he began, taking a few tentative steps towards her. "Dot, we're really worried about you. Don't push me away, Dottie."  
  
A sob escaped her lips and she leaned against the wall. She was in Bob's arms in no time. "I can't believe..." she sobbed, crying on his shoulder. "Everything is ruined now, Bob. Everything."  
  
He soothed her, kissing the top of her head. "Things aren't ruined, Dot." he said.  
  
"Yes, they are." she cried. "I'm the leader of this system, Bob, and I was an accomplice in trying to take it over." She continued to break down, Bob holding her close. "Our life is ruined."  
  
_   
***  
  
_Down the hall, in a small med room, AndrAIa sat looking over Matrix. She had just come from seeing Enzo and trying to calm a hysterical Alex down. With the help of Phong, they managed to get her a cot and put her to sleep herself. Now it was AndrAIa's turn to break down. Things were just closing in on each other and the young wife and mother couldn't really take it. She had nearly lost Matrix too many times to be sitting here, watching him sweat and pant. She touched his cheek, trying to calm him, but it wasn't working.  
  
He thrashed about, his face contorted in horrible pain. When he calmed, he opened his eyes, somewhat confused as to where he was. "AndrAIa?" he asked, his voice horse and dry.  
  
"I'm here, Sparky." she whispered, kissing his forehead. He was burning up with a fever and probably hallucinating.  
  
"I'm sorry." he choked, tears running down his face. "I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it."  
  
"Everything's going to be okay, Enzo." she said, trying to calm him.  
  
He choked back more tears before becoming still again and going back to sleep. The game sprite couldn't help but sob, resting her head on his chest.   
  
_ ***  
  
_Chip waited until his mother had gone to the cafeteria before he entered the room of his father. The young boy had seen many things, but his father hooked up to machines and looking very pale was not one of them. He crept inside and walked to the bed. He used the chair AndrAIa sat in to climb up next to the bed and lay on his father's chest and stomach. He felt a large hand rest on his back and even he couldn't hold back his small tears.  
  
"It was Gain, huh?" he asked, sniffing. When he didn't get an answer, he set his mouth in a grim line. "Don't worry, Pop. I'll get him. If I ever see that two-bit virus again...I'll destroy him. I'll erase him and he'll be the one who ends up in the med ward. I promise, Dad. He'll pay. He'll pay dearly."  
  
_ ***  
  
_A minute passed with the boys recovering nicely...at least physically. Phong decided as soon as they had been officially released, to call the entire senior staff into his office for a talk. More specifically, to talk about what would be done with those who had led the viral takeover. In normal circumstances, the virus would be taken to the Super Computer and left to the guardians there, but this case was...special. Viruses weren't involved, though not really, in this case. It was more than having mere sprites infected. It was members of the senior staff, not to mention friends, lovers, family.  
  
Phong had thought long and hard about what he would do. Yes, he needed to be strict about the situation, but yet he couldn't bring himself to dispose of the very sprites that meant so much to him. He had made a promise to James Matrix that he would look after his children and he had done that for hours upon hours. He didn't want to turn them over to the Academy for...testing, was the lack of a better word. So he had called the meeting for that morning. Everyone in Mainframe wanted to know what would be done with the sprites gone bad.  
  
Most supported their leaders, knowing their actions were not on their own accord. Some visitors during this time had cleared out, fearing repercussions from the very leaders they had feared. Business for that minute hadn't gone good for any Matrix owned endeavor, including the Diner. No no, especially the Diner. Most of the time, it was a ghost town whenever Dot walked in. If it wasn't for her family, she would've closed the eatery down for good. The guilt over letting her system down, once again, was gnawing away at her, at them. She and her brothers were out, she knew it. She had already packed, knowing this meeting would signal the end of leadership, the end of happy times.  
  
Everyone, except Ray and the twins were present in Phong's office that morning. Most knew, or thought they knew, what would be the outcome of that second's meeting. The Matrixes would be gone by the afternoon. Both Bob and AndrAIa also had plans of their own. If their spouses left, they too would leave, taking their children with them. It was the same for Alex. The trio had their own little talk the night before and had made their decisions. Ones, though hard to make, would be carried through.  
  
"I am glad you could all see me this fine morning." Phong began, with his normal cheeriness. "I was afraid some of you would be out playing." He looked at Chip and smiled. The boy did not return the gesture. The wise sprite sighed and rolled in front of the desk to face everyone. "I assume you all know the reason I have called you in today."  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
"Let's get it over with." Matrix whispered.  
  
"It was a hard decision for me to make," Phong began. "With the situation as it was. But a decision I have indeed come to." He looked up at the group and asked, "Do you wish for all of you to know it now or for me to tell the Matrixes and then you?"  
  
"We're already here, Phong." Chip managed to say. "Like Dad said, let's get this over with."  
  
Phong nodded and rubbed his chin. "I have decided it is perhaps time for a small vacation." he said, thoughtfully.  
  
"I knew it." Dot whispered, wiping fruitlessly at her eyes. "When do you want us out of here, Phong?"  
  
"Hmmm?" he asked.  
  
"When do you want us to leave?" Enzo asked.  
  
"Are you going somewhere?" he asked.  
  
"You just said you wanted us to go." Matrix replied.  
  
"When did I say that?"  
  
"Just now!" Chip exclaimed.  
  
"Whoa, whoa." Bob said, bringing quiet to the room. "Phong, you just said it was time for a vacation."  
  
"Yes." Phong replied. "I had been thinking about a cycle or two, in sunny Patagonia. It is lovely this time of season."  
  
Everyone looked at him.   
  
"Oh!" he said, in realization. "You thought I meant...no. No, though now that I think of it, a vacation isn't such a bad idea."  
  
"Phong, what in the horned stripped null are you talkin' about?" Mouse asked.  
  
"A vacation." he repeated. "Were you not listening, my child?"  
  
"I can't believe I got up at 0500 this morning for this." Chip muttered.  
  
"As I said, I had been thinking." Phong once again said. "I think things have created quite a hardship upon our leadership. I think it is in the best interest of everyone if we take the time to wind down. Hence why a vacation is in order. I also think talking and perhaps counseling is in order to further quell deep insecurities that might be plaguing us." He turned to look at the Matrixes, who nodded in response. "I'm glad we understand each other, my children." he continued. "Now, if the rest of you could possibly leave the Matrixes and myself?"  
  
The others nodded and started to leave, AndrAIa taking Chip with her. "What the Dell just happened here?" the boy could be heard asking.  
  
_ _***  
  
_ Matrix sat near the door, head resting on his arms. So many painful memories were coming back to him and this trial was just the can opener to open old wounds. And the only thing he could of was his marriage and how they had managed to keep it alive for so long, just to have it nearly fall apart. The renegade ran a hand over his face. User, he still remembered that. Remembered how everything had fallen apart between them...  
  
_So the decision had been made. Dot was going on a vacation, while the boys stayed there. It was an agreement the siblings and Phong made while in his office. Dot would stay in Patagonia for however long she needed ~and Phong said she needed at least 2 to 3 cycles~ and the boys would stay with him and seek his counsel for that time. The Matrix brothers agreed, if not somewhat reluctantly, and the sessions began.  
  
But somewhere during those first few seconds, Matrix had been unbearable, a raging inferno of emotions. One nano, he'd be angry for something as small as a piece of lint on the floor and the next, he'd be sitting in a corner crying. Worse yet, the renegade didn't know what was wrong with him. Physically, he was still sore and his body ached, mentally he was just...lost, was the word he had said to Phong in one of their sessions. And he didn't know why. He didn't know why he'd blow up at his wife or son. He didn't know why he'd break down and cry in the morning. He was just...lost. And about to become even more so.  
  
AndrAIa, for her part, had tried to be there for him, despite everything, but even she was going through the motions. Things were just way too close together right now. First the incident with McMillian and his henchmen had almost taken him out permanently, then Gain arriving and attacking their children, and now Matrix being infected, taking over the P.O. and infecting their son...there was so much even **she** could take. And despite the fact that she would anything for him, go anywhere with him, she just couldn't live with him.  
  
That fateful second saw Matrix sitting on their bed, already upset over something, something AndrAIa didn't even know. Then they started to argue, over what the two of them couldn't tell you. And that's when she said it, told him what she intended on doing. "I can't, Matrix." she said. "I can't take this anymore. I'm gonna move out and I'm taking Chip with me."  
  
He had been floored, as if the bottom of his stomach had dropped, the glue that held him together had melted. That's when he saw the suitcase by the side of the bed. How could he have missed that? "Please Enzo, you have to understand..." she said, watching as he started to crumble in front of her. "Enzo..."  
  
A sob escaped his lips. "You're leaving me?" he asked.  
  
"No." she said, bending down in front of him. "At least not permanently. I just...I just think we need to be apart right now. I'm not helping you any, I can see that."  
  
That didn't stop him from gasping or the tears from falling.  
  
"Enzo, listen to me." she said, wiping away her own tears. "I love you, I will always love you. And I'll be back. I promise. I promise." She kissed his forehead and then his lips, before picking up the suitcase and exiting their room, probably for the last time.  
  
Matrix fell to his knees, head buried in his hands. She was gone. Gone forever probably. Now he **was** truly "lost". Dot was gone to User knew where, Enzo was having his own battles, and AndrAIa had walked out on him, taking their son with her. He couldn't call Sabrina, he didn't want to. He couldn't tell her that they were now apart from each other. It was hard enough knowing Chip knew. Everything was over now, everything. All he could do was cry.  
  
_ ***  
  
_Sabrina Matrix sat in her chair by the desk, still shocked. She didn't even hear her boyfriend walk in and kiss her cheek. Roscoe knew something was wrong. Very wrong. "Bri?" he asked, noticing her stone wall face. "Sabrina, what's wrong?"  
  
"I just got a call from my baby brother." she whispered. "My parents are now separated and Chip is living with Mom. My Dad has finally lost it and is probably going to do something drastic. My Aunt Dot is laying on some FAQing beach somewhere, while my Uncle Enzo is probably going to have his own system crash sometime this cycle. Other than that, I'm perfectly fine."  
  
Roscoe looked at her in concern. He couldn't have heard her right. Did she say that Matrix and AndrAIa were separated? Wasn't that the first step before a couple got divorced? His eyes widened. Of all the couples and parents he knew, the Matrixes were not the ones he could see getting divorced. Never was the actual word. Never in a million days could they even consider the possibility. His thoughts stopped, when Sabrina flung herself into his arms, crying hysterically.   
  
What the Dell was happening in Mainframe?  
  
_ ***  
  
_AndrAIa and Chip had moved into one of the many vacant rooms inside the Principal Office. AndrAIa didn't enjoy it, but it was something that had to be done. She and Matrix had never,** ever** been apart in their hours together, so this was as tough on her as it was for him. That and the fact she had to constantly explain to people that this was a temporary thing. Poor Chip, she had to explain it to him every nano that their marriage wasn't over, they just needed time away from each other, that was all.  
  
Chip just went back and forth between the P.O. and home. Most of their stuff was there, it was just like being on a vacation, just in the same system and only a few blocks from your house. Chip hated it. He was old enough to understand that the whole viral thing had put a strain on his parents. He could see that. What he didn't understand was why they had to work things out apart from each other. No matter how many times his mother tried to explain it, Chip just couldn't get the image out of his head. They were going to get divorced. Chip knew sprites and binomes alike whose parents had done the "separating" thing and then got divorced. That's what was happening.  
  
He just couldn't take it, so he had to tell someone, talk to someone. He couldn't talk to Nikki and Jet, they were downright scared of him now. After he had protected them from Gain, he had gone to trying to infect them both. Bob had said they were really distraught over it, especially with Dot gone and they needed sometime alone and time together with him. Chip nodded, able to read between the lines. His own uncle didn't even want him near his children. He noticed that Bob and his Dad didn't really talk anymore. The only person who came to see Matrix was Enzo and Chip, but Chip figured it was because they shared so much anyway, they were in the same boat more or less.  
  
So Chip turned to the one person he felt the closest to. Sabrina. In all the chaotic events, no one had even told her about what had happened. Not even Kit knew and Chip was afraid the young scientist would be upset if he told him. So Chip called his sister at the Academy. To say she was stunned was the least of it. But she was strong and listened as her brother broke down in tears, dreading the same thing she was. That their parents' marriage was over. After consoling Chip, Sabrina broke down with Roscoe holding her in his arms.   
  
AndrAIa really did feel awful about the whole thing, especially with the way Sabrina had called up, in tears, begging and pleading with her mother not to divorce her father. The game sprite calmed the girl down, repeating what she had been saying all cycle. She and Matrix were not divorcing each other. The move out was just temporary, that she's be back within a cycle or two, even a minute. As soon as she got off with her, there was a knock at the door. Opening it, she sighed.  
  
Enzo.  
  
"Hey." he said.  
  
"Hey yourself." she answered, moving so he could walk in. "How are you?"  
  
"A little sore." he said. "Little emotional, I guess." He paused, looking down at the floor. "I went to see Matrix today."  
  
AndrAIa sighed. "Enzo, listen to me." she said, approaching him. "We are not getting a divorce." He looked at her, surprised she knew what he was thinking. "And yes, I knew that's what you were thinking." she smirked. "You know I love your brother more than anything in this entire Net, but right I can't...I can't be there for him and it hurts me as much as it hurts him."  
  
"He misses you, you know." he whispered.  
  
"I miss him like crazy." she replied. She put her arms around him and hugged him tight. "You're too much like him, you know." she whispered. "So are Chip and Sabrina. I will always love Matrix, always, but right now I just can't live with him when he's like this. I didn't want to move out, but I thought it best if I did. I hate what this is doing to us, to him. I've come so close to losing him and you too for that matter. I couldn't risk it again, I couldn't risk the hurt. Understand?"  
  
Enzo nodded. He pulled away and sighed. "So...everything is okay between you two?" he asked.  
  
"As okay as things can be right now." she said.  
  
He nodded and turned to the door. Opening it, she said, "If you see him, make sure you tell him that as well." He nodded again and left.  
  
A few seconds turned into a cycle and then another before Matrix had the courage to visit the room his wife and son were staying in. He had been in the P.O. plenty of times, talking to Phong, but he never had the courage or the circuits to see them. For some reason, he just needed to see her that second. It had been hard living in a house that was theirs, looking at jpegs of them, staying and sleeping in** their** room...the loneliness was deleting him. He stood outside the door, contemplating if he should really knock. Enzo had come by, telling him what she had said, giving Matrix renewed hope, but as he stood there, he wondered if maybe she had found someone else, found someone who could make her happier than he could.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he knocked quietly ~or as quiet as he could~ and waited. After a nano, he was about to turn around and walk away, when the door opened. "Hi." she said, a smile coming to her face.  
  
"Hi." he whispered, his voice sounding scratchy and dry. "I...I was in the neighborhood...well...you know, the P.O. and..."  
  
"Do you want to come in?" she asked, knowing what he wanted to say. She only got a nod.  
  
"How are you?" he asked, turning as she closed the door.  
  
"Good." she replied, walking over to him and placing her hands on his chest. "You?"  
  
"Better." he said.  
  
"Seeing Phong?"  
  
He nodded.   
  
She rested her head on his chest, her arms going around his waist. "I miss you." she whispered.  
  
He lay his head on top of hers, wrapping his arms around her. "User, I miss you." he said. They held each other, reveling in each other's warmth. When the door opened unexpectantly, they released each other, just to see it was Chip who had entered.   
  
"Dad!" the boy exclaimed, running and hugging the large sprite's leg.  
  
"Hey." he whispered, ruffling his hair through his hat.  
  
"What're you doing here?" he asked. "Are you staying? Can I come over and spend the night? You said I could some time. Mom, can I?"  
  
"I came over to say hi." Matrix replied. "No, I'm not staying, ask your mother, I know I did, and AndrAIa, could he?"  
  
She giggled, getting stereo puppy looks. "Okay," she laughed. "Go get your stuff."  
  
Chip shouted in excitement and ran around, getting various things he wanted to take back home. Matrix turned to her and said, "Thanks. I really wanted to see him tonight."  
  
"Why shouldn't you?" she asked. "He's your son."  
  
"He's **our **son." he corrected.  
  
She smiled. "Our son." she repeated. "So do you mind calling **our** daughter and calming her down?"  
  
"I don't mind." he said. He kissed her cheek and headed for the door, Chip already waiting for him.  
  
"Have a good time, boys." she said, kissing Chip on the forehead and Matrix lightly on the lips. "You'll come by tomorrow?" she whispered.  
  
"Sure." he said, repeating her action.  
  
"Hey, are you two gonna make out in front of our door?" Chip asked.  
  
"Ever the charming little boy, aren't you sweetie?" AndrAIa asked sarcastically._  
  
Matrix remembered how they had reconciled. She and Chip moved back in and things had been nothing but wonderful ever since. Until this, until this whole trial. This trial was going to ruin him, them, everyone. It was already the breaking point between his nephews. He had never seen Jet so mad before and Kit _never _got into trouble. Things were falling apart all around them and this time, they wouldn't be able to rise from this.  
  
***  
  
Turbo had called an emergency meeting with five of the nine counsel members that night. The trial during that second, the whole trial itself, had disturbed him beyond anything. He needed to meet with those guardian counsel members. They all met in the former prime's hotel room, surprised as to why Turbo had called them. The former head of the Guardian Collective seemed stressed, agitated. He began to pace as he made his address to them.  
  
"The reason I brought you five here, instead of the whole counsel, was to ask you about the state the Academy is in." he started.  
  
"Excuse me?" asked one sprite.  
  
"I didn't think we were here to talk about the Academy, sir." said another.  
  
"Not the Academy itself." he continued. "I'm talking about the people who are in it, run it."  
  
They group looked at each other. "I don't think..."  
  
"As you know," Turbo said, ignoring the confused looks he got. "Robert Lan is the new Prime Guardian. And during the course of this trial, has been accused of two murders, one in which I know is false. And then of course, there are his own students. The Matrix brothers. Both have been accused of assault and one of them has admitted to at least an accidental manslaughter. Then Sabrina Matrix, teacher and guardian in her own right. Accused of assault. Not to mention her cousin, Dr. Christopher Lan, though not a member of our core, did take an internship at the Academy, went to the prestigious Science Institute. He too has been accused of assault and just today, murder, as well as being jailed for contempt." He paused in his speech and pace.  
  
"I can't begin to tell you how this worries me." he whispered.  
  
"Sir," asked one sprite. "Are you considering...releasing Bob from his duties as Prime Guardian?"  
  
Turbo sighed. "I don't know." he said. "It is Bob's duty, of course, to reprimand his students. I can't do that. But if or perhaps when, news of this trial gets out and their deeds known..." he trailed off, remembering a painful past. "We took a great pain of effort to bounce back after Daemon. I can't allow accusations like this to ruin us."  
  
"So what exactly are you asking, Turbo?"  
  
The former prime finally stood to face his council. "We're either going to see this family get off or they'll be heading to their own gallows." he said, grimly. "Personally, I'm torn. I don't know the whole story to any of this, but I want to find out. If this is something being cooked up by their enemies, I want those enemies caught. If any of this is true..." he trailed off again. "I want immediate action. I refuse to have the Academy and the Collective be a laughing stock again."  
  
***  
  
AndrAIa had waited at least a millisecond before going to look for her husband. She knew him well enough to know he needed his brooding time alone and that she would find him eventually, hopefully not having hurt himself. She sided up next to Enzo, whispering in his ear, "Where's your brother?"  
  
"Upstairs I think." he replied, in a hushed tone. Everyone's nerves were already on edge, the young guardian didn't want people to freak out at knowing someone was missing. "He needs you, Dre. More than ever."  
  
"I know." she said, planting a kiss on his cheek.  
  
She left to go upstairs. As she walked down the hall, she listened closely for any screaming, yelling...crying, pounding of objects...basically all the things that screamed Matrix when he was upset. But she didn't hear any of that. A small part of her caused a lump in her throat. What if he had taken the ultimate steps to ensure he wouldn't have to go through any... She shook her head. Matrix had been distraught before, sometimes on that very edge of living and deleting, but he had never gone through it. She hoped he wouldn't now.  
  
Reaching their bedroom, she knocked softly. Not hearing a reply to the knock, she went in. The room was as they left it, bed made, light shining in through the window. She didn't see any signs of...well...deletion, which was an obvious good sign. "Enzo?" she called, looking around. She didn't see him. Their bathroom door was slightly open and AndrAIa feared the worse. Closing the door, she was about to head for the ajar bathroom door when she heard sniffing coming behind her. Turning, she let out a small sigh.  
  
He was sitting behind the door, hence why she hadn't seen him the first time. His knees were to his chest, his arms across them and his head resting on his arms. His jacket lay next to him and his sleeves were rolled up. She walked over and knelt by his side, laying a hand on his shoulder. She did a quick check to make sure there weren't any marks on his wrists and arms, before whispering, "Enzo?" He sniffed again, but didn't lift his head. Instead, she heard him mumbled a small, "I'm sorry." She wrapped her arms around him in a hug and soothed him.  
  
"I didn't mean to do it." he sobbed. "I really didn't. I just wanted him to leave you alone, that's all. I was gonna scare him if anything. I didn't mean to shoot him. I didn't, AndrAIa, I swear."  
  
He continued to cry, reliving a memory they both thought they had gotten over. Obviously it was something that haunted Matrix and probably would until the second he deleted. That moment had changed their lives. Matrix was never the same after that. His hate and rage seemed to grow, even though he struggled with the knowledge that he had, in some instances, deleted people. But it had been that second in the game, the murder of Cody, that triggered everything that followed.  
  
When his cries had dwindled to sobs and then down to a few sniffs, AndrAIa kissed his temple. "Why don't you go lay down for a bit?" she asked. "Some rest will do you good." He shook his head, but she stopped him. "I know you haven't been sleeping, so just this once listen to me and have a quick nap. You'll feel better, I promise."  
  
He sighed. She was right, of course. He was tired and the whole trial was just draining. Maybe some sleep could help, at least calm him slightly and take the edge off. "Okay." he whispered, standing with her help. She lead him to the bed, as he removed his tie and unbuttoned the top four buttons of his shirt. She pushed him back slightly and watched as he closed his eyes. She stood by and watched as he began a peaceful trip into slumber, then kissed his forehead, and left the room.  
  
A few milliseconds later, Matrix knew he was coming out of a dream, one he didn't want to leave. He was surrounded by light and a sweet voice had been calling his name. He had looked around, but hadn't found the voice. That's when it started singing, soft, light, heavenly...he had tried calling to it to no avail. The voice again called his name, then kissed him lightly on the forehead. That's when he began to awaken. Opening his eyes slowly, he noted the lights were dim, signaling nighttime had arrived in the system. He blinked a few more times, stretching as he did. That's when he heard the voice again, the one from his dream. It was closer this time and asking for him. Looking up, he finally saw a face to match the voice.  
  
AndrAIa.  
  
"Hey Sparky." she whispered, running a hand through his hair. "You were really out, you know? I tried waking you, but you must've been more exhausted than you let on."  
  
He blinked sleepily, trying to process the words she was saying. "You missed dinner," she continued. "So I went ahead and brought yours up. I figured you'd be hungry."  
  
He turned, seeing a small tray with a plate on top of it to his left. He yawned again, causing a giggle from his wife. "You better get up before it gets cold."  
  
He sighed, closing his eyes again and wishing he was asleep once more, but the pulling hunger pain from his stomach told him he needed to eat. Sitting up, he yawned again and rubbed his eyes. He sat on the side of the bed, coming out of sleep and looked over at dinner. A well done steak looked back at him, the peas pleading to be eaten, the mashed potatoes needing the love and good home in the lining of his stomach, and a cookie with a heart on it. Matrix smiled, knowing that the little treat had been meant for him alone. Scooting over and pulling the tray and food towards him, he began to slice into the meat.  
  
"Hey Angelfish?" he asked.  
  
She stood next to him, wondering what was wrong.  
  
"Thank you." he whispered, looking up at her.  
  
"You're welcome." she said, kissing his cheek.  
  
He watched as she went back to whatever task she was doing. As he ate, he couldn't help watching as she went about her work, going back and forth, seemingly looking for something. He watched as she looked through the closet, then the drawer and then exclaimed in happiness as she pulled out a nail file. Soon, his observation of her took away his appetite for his food, but began a greater appetite for something else.  
  
Every time he saw her, he fell deeper and deeper in love with her. Even after thirty-five hours together ~had they really known each other for_ that_ long?~ she was still as beautiful to him as she had been when they had met. And it wasn't even her beauty that made him fall for her. He overall sense of loyalty and kindness, even when he was a royal pain in the ASCII, never waived. Oh sure, she had been frustrated with him, angered by him, had even left him for a brief period, but she never gave up on him. She always pushed for him to be the person he was now, more of his former self returning after all this time, and he truly had her to thank for it.  
  
Suddenly, his thoughts of love soon turned to thoughts of desire. He watched as she bit one fingernail, skimming over some brochure she had found on the dresser. He studied her face, her lips, her eyes, scanning all over her and then back to her face. By this time, her eyes had met his and he could see the same wanting reflected in her eyes as well. Putting the brochure down, she headed towards the bathroom. "I think I'll take a shower." she said, turning from the door. "How was dinner?"  
  
Matrix gave a shrug. "It was all right." he said, standing and facing her. "Nothing like my steaks though. Best in the entire Net."  
  
AndrAIa rolled her eyes at him. He made a few good steaks in his life time, people praising him for his cooking, and now she would never hear the end of it. "Has anyone ever told you that your ego has gotten way too big for you?" she asked, sarcastically.  
  
"Why don't you come over here and I'll show you my ego." he replied, hand resting on his pant waistband.  
  
AndrAIa tried to contain the small smile that was threatening to form on her lips. He was being playful, something she was actually extremely grateful for. He had been on edge for the first cycle of this trial, she was afraid he wouldn't be able to be the sprite that had existed in Mainframe before this whole thing started. "No." she said, raising an eyebrow. "Besides, I don't know where you've been."  
  
"I'll give you three guesses." he smirked. "And I'll even give you a hint. All three belong to you."  
  
The game sprite's eyes widen in amusement and she cleared her throat. Now he was just being bold. "I'm going to take a shower now." she said.  
  
"You do that."  
  
"I will."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Fine."  
  
She turned, opened the door, and closed it behind her. Standing on the other side of the door, AndrAIa couldn't help but giggle. He'd be in soon enough. As for Matrix, he stood staring at the door, a grin on his face. She was most certainly waiting for him, why should he disappoint her? Strolling with intent, he moved towards the door. She had just started the water for the shower when she heard him open the door. Turning her head, she saw him - leaning against the door, his shirt unbuttoned. "Can I help you?" she asked, turning back to the running facet.  
  
"Just admiring the view." he said, watching as she bent over to check the water.  
  
She stood up and started to remove the halter top, being excessively slow in order to put on a show for him. She needn't turn around, his imagination was already going wild at the mere thought of the view he was missing. Stopping short, hoisting the item of clothing to her chest, she looked at him over her shoulder. "Could you close the door?" she asked in all sweetness. "There's a bit of a draft."  
  
Matrix smiled, closing and locking the door behind him. He watched as she continued to tease him, undressing slowly and causing the bulge in his pants to become very uncomfortable. Seemingly ignoring him, she took the first step into the shower, closing the door slightly. She counted silently in her head and by the time she got down to one, his hands wrapped around her waist and his lips kissed her neck.  
  
"What took you so long?" she asked, playfully.  
  
"I had to watch you get undressed." he retorted, biting her neck. "It's not nice to tease you know."  
  
AndrAIa blew out a breath. "You like it and you know it." she said, leaning back against him.  
  
"I'll show you something you'll like." he whispered, his hand making small circles around her belly button before going lower. She made a small chuckle, which quickly turned to a moan as his finger entered her. With her head back, Matrix had more access to her neck, which he kissed and nibbled on. He moaned slowly in her ear, as her hand reached around to stroke him. "Why, Mr. Matrix," she giggled. "What a large ego you have."  
  
"All the better to..." he whispered the rest in her ear, causing her to giggle even more. "Here." she said, handing him the wash cloth. "Do something productive."  
  
"I thought I was." he said, taking the cloth.  
  
"Productive, not_ re_productive." she quipped.  
  
"Ha ha." he mumbled, running the cloth over her shoulders and then down her back. He kissed her neck, his hands dropping the cloth in order to finish by hand. His fingers ran over her stomach, brushing across her abdomen, then traveling upwards to her chest. She arched towards him, her moans and cries egging his actions on. She turned in his arms, their lips meeting together in a passionate kiss. They spent some time just like that, tongues exploring each other's mouths, hands and fingers exploring flesh, until the renegade lifted his wife, his body pressing her against the shower stall wall.  
  
"You know what comes next, don't you?" he murmured against her lips.  
  
She smiled. "I have a vague idea." she said. "Though I might need a demonstration."  
  
He chuckled before kissing her lightly, then more passionately as he began to move insider her. She gasped as he held her, his movement purposefully slow. Matrix steadied himself against the wall, one hand pushing against the porcelain, the other arm wrapped around her waist as his movements increased in speed. She cried his name, her nails extending into his back. After their time together, he was immune from the poison that now coursed through his system, if anything, building his already enflamed desire.  
  
Moments later, their passion came to a head, both crying out in ecstasy. He held on to her, his other hand searching for the facet nozzle to turn the water off. He lowered to her feet, her arms dropping to wrap around his waist. He rested his cheek on her head and they stood like that for several micros. "We only have one towel, you know." he whispered, looking at the large white and gray towel that hung outside on the towel rack. AndrAIa turned her head to see and also saw a smaller hand towel next to it. She smiled. Kissing his chest, she stepped out and grabbed a towel from the rack and walked out.  
  
Watching her leave, Matrix took his turn, grabbing a towel and finding it was the hand towel. "Hey!" he said, trying to wrap it around as best as he could. He came out into the bedroom to stare at her. "That wasn't very nice." he pouted.  
  
"All's fair in love and towels, Lover." she chuckled. Seeing the puppy dog face he gave her, she sighed and opened the towel for him to join her. He smiled, as she wrapped the towel around his waist and gazed up at him.  
  
"I was kinda chilly." he said, caressing her cheek.   
  
"I know how to keep you warm." she replied, a seductive gleam in her eye. He bent down to kiss her, his hands running over her. Putting his hand on the back of her neck, he kissed the sensitive spot near her adam's apple, while his other hand parted her legs. He slipped one finger, then two inside of her, causing her gasp and arch forward. He had her where he wanted her, helpless. Her hands clung to the towel as his ministrations went deeper and faster. The skin on her throat was starting to redden as he left his mark on her. He could feel the climax starting to build for her. Right as she began the climb, there was a knock on the door.  
  
"Damn." he cursed, trying to curb his own desire. "What?" he shouted.  
  
"Sorry to bother." came a voice from the other side. Whether it was Chip or Enzo, Matrix couldn't decided, nor did he care. "But Jet wants us downstairs. Big family meeting."  
  
"Fine." he said through gritted teeth. "We'll be right down."  
  
"Looks like we'll have to continue this later." AndrAIa whispered, her head resting on his chest.  
  
"Looks like." he whispered, raising her head to kiss her lips. He let out a frustrated sigh, before leaving the warmth of her and their towel to retrieve the baby one he left on the floor. "Better go take a shower." he mumbled.  
  
"We just took a shower." she said, looking at him in confusion.  
  
"I meant a cold one." he said. "For me."  
  
She giggled, watching him walk into the bathroom and close the door.  
  
***  
  
Everyone, well almost everyone, was now gathered in front lobby/living quarters of the bed and breakfast. Jet stood at the front, waiting for everyone to arrive. Matrix and AndrAIa were the last, earning a knowing look from Chip. "I called this meeting to discuss certain...boundaries that we seem to be crossing here." Jet began. "We're losing the edge we came in here with. Everything's falling apart." No one contradicted him. "And I for one think there needs to be some changes around here."  
  
"Having a party?" a voice said from behind. "Pity I wasn't invited."  
  
Jet didn't bother to turn around. He knew the voice well. "I was actually waiting for you." he said. "How was your stay?"  
  
Kit smirked. "As well as any stay in a holding cell can be." he retorted. "What's all this?"  
  
"A family meeting." Jet replied. "I was actually just coming to a part that concerns you."  
  
"Don't I feel special?"  
  
"As I was saying," the teen continued, again addressing his family. "We need to start making some changes around here, starting with our defense." Turning to Kit, he replied calmly, "You're fired."  
  
Kit laughed out loud. "You're kidding me, right?" he asked. "You can't possibly fire me."  
  
"Oh yes I can." Jet hissed. "For endangering our very case, not to mention landing yourself in contempt, I have every right to fire you from this team."  
  
Kit just stared at the boy, someone he didn't recognize as his brother anymore. "You think you are so grown right now, don't you?" he whispered.  
  
"Boys..." Bob began, knowing a showdown was emanate.  
  
"All hail little boy Faunteroy." he continued. "The king of kings."  
  
"We don't need you on this case, Kit." Jet replied, through gritted teeth.  
  
"Don't need me, huh?" Kit asked, advancing on his brother.  
  
"Boys, please." Dot said.  
  
"Fine." Kit continued. "I'll see you when you get back to Mainframe, if indeed you all return to Mainframe." Kit turned to leave, then stopped. Turning back to Jet, he smiled. "Your big boy antics are going to land our parents in the slammer, little brother." he said. "Why don't you stop playing adult and let a_ real _adult handle this?"  
  
Jet had heard enough. Within a nano, his fist flew, connecting with Kit's jaw. The doctor stumbled a bit before charging at Jet in a fit of fury. Both boys landed with a loud crack, as the table they encountered broke their fall. As the two rolled away from the wreckage, Jet was on top, able to hit Kit again, this time square in the face. Suddenly, he was jerked back as Matrix and Enzo grabbed him, kicking and screaming. Bob helped Kit, who wrenched away from his father's grasp. Walking over to Jet, he said, "You're going to regret this, I promise." then punched him hard in the gut, causing the boy to fall to his knees.  
  
"Christopher, stop it!" Dot exclaimed.  
  
Jet rose, grabbing for Kit, starting another half attempt fight, before he was grabbed again. "I'm outta here." Kit proclaimed, pushing past the melee and heading upstairs, Dani right behind him. Jet shrugged off the hands and arms that touched him and stormed out of the lobby, going through the kitchen, and out the back.  
  
The teen stumbled distraught down the hill that overlooked a small lake in the back of the property. Jet coughed a few times, the pain in his stomach starting to subside and his gasps becoming less and less...cry baby-ish. He regained his senses, wiped his eyes and began searching for the one thing that could relive his stress. Finding the pack of ten fire wires, he removed one, then placed the pack back in his shirt pocket. Taking his first puff, he already started to relax, until he heard footsteps behind him.  
  
"You know, you really shouldn't be doing that." the voice said. "Especially when you're so close to the hotel. Mom and Dad would delete you if they caught you."  
  
"That's why I have you." he retorted, reaching for his pack again. "To keep my secret."  
  
Nikki smirked, taking a fire wire and the lighter from his hand. Lighting the small stick, she handed back the lighter, taking a puff before saying, "We'll both be in deep null shit if Mom and Dad _ever _find out." She regarded him for a moment, when he didn't answer. "What's the file, Jet?" she asked. "Between you and Kit. What's going on?"  
  
He sighed, taking another puff on his wire. "Do you ever feel out of place?" he asked. "Like...like you're at the far end of the spectrum?" He looked at her for some acknowledgment, but all he got was a blank stare. "You and Kit..." he started, trying to form how he felt in terms of words and was failing. "You two don't have that problem, do you? Kit's the oldest, the first initialized, you're the only girl...you know what Dad calls Kit, as a nickname?" Nikki shook her head. "Bobby." he said. "Grandma used to call Dad that when he was little. Mom calls him Kitten. Dad calls you Princess and Baby Cakes..."  
  
"Are you saying you're being anal because you don't have a nickname?" she asked, incredulously.  
  
"No!" he exclaimed, then sighed. "All my life, I've been...the little brother. Someone who had to live in the mighty Christopher Lan's shadow. You know that time when Phong had us in those rooms when Gain was there? Phong told me, said it to my face almost, that he couldn't tell the difference between Kit and I. Everything I do or say is always measured up against the all powerful Kit." He turned to her, anger boiling in his eyes. "Do I look like Enzo FAQing Matrix to you?" he cried. "I'm not a copy, a back up of Kit. But that's who everyone sees me as. A carbon copy. A little Kit in the making. Well, consider this my official 'kiss my ASCII' resignation from that. And this trial is it, Nikki. This trial is my ticket in getting into Mom and Dad's eyes. It was even easier than I thought. I never imagined the son of a null would land in contempt. That was the best thing that's ever happened during this damn trial."  
  
He took another long puff, nearly finishing off the fire wire, before flickering it out into the lake. "I know I can win this trial, I know it." he whispered. "But I need help." He again turned to her. "I need your help, Nikki." he said. "We're gonna show everyone, especially Kit, that he's not only smart one in this family. Will you help me?"  
  
Nikki made a face. She had never known about these feelings from her brother, even though the two shared a somewhat, psychic bond with each other, she had no idea the feelings he harbored. Smiling slowly, she nodded. "It's about time I got some work done." she said. When Jet looked at her questioningly, she said, "What else? His royal highness, King Pain in the ASCII fired me basically."  
  
"Figures." he grumbled. "So you'll help me?"  
  
She looked at him. "I'll help you with getting Mom and the boys off the hook." she stated. "As for your feelings about Kit...leave me out of it. I think we have enough on our minds right now."  
  
"Agreed." he said.  
  
"It shouldn't matter though." she continued, taking her last puff and repeating her twin's earlier action. "He's leaving."  
  
Jet shook his head. "He also said he was quitting." he remarked. "He's not leaving. Not by a long shot."   


****

  



	10. Chapter Nine: TensionBrotherly Love

** Viral Legacy**   
  


**Chapter Nine: Tension/Brotherly Love**

  
  
  


The climatic tension that filled the upstairs hallway and rooms hung thick, like a dark fog. Dot sat at the desk, organizer in front of her, doing quarterly scans for the Diner, looking at files from Mainframe, anything to take her mind off of what was happening to everyone. Yes, it seemed Matrix and AndrAIa were doing fine ~she couldn't help but notice the large redish-purple mark on the game sprite's neck~ but with one reconcile, there was another decension, this time between her own boys. She just couldn't understand it. They had been so close before and now...especially now, she was seeing a whole new side to both of them. Kit was becoming arrogant, cocky, belligerent and Jet had almost shut everyone out. He was quieter, almost on the edge of brooding, secretive. 

And that outburst today! Jet had never so much as raised a hand to a pesky bug, but he had cold cocked his brother as if he was his most hated enemy. There was so much anger there, at what, Dot didn't know and she knew she wouldn't be getting any answers soon. Kit was in his room packing, she had heard the argument between him and Dani and now Jet had stormed off to who knows where. Even Nikki, the one person who probably knew where he was, wasn't talking. Sighing, the commander pushed away the organizer, knowing she wouldn't be able to concentrate long enough to do actual work. 

If she wasn't on trial, she'd leave too. 

Suddenly, Dot felt very alone and out of touch with those around her. It was like she didn't know any of these sprites anymore. Her sons were completely changed from the men they had been, her daughter was now keeping secrets from her ~something none of her children had _ever_ done before~ the couples around her, those that seemed indestructible to her, were suddenly fighting more than usual. Things she never thought could possibly happen, now were. Her head started to pound, the beginnings of a headache forming at the front of her head. 

This was the same feeling she felt after the purge on her brothers. Helpless, loneliness...like something had been pulled from her, even though it was Matrix and Enzo who had suffered more. She knew Chip felt the same. She wondered if he ever felt the way she did, alone though she was surrounded by friends and family...helpless, though they now seemed to be in control...out of touch, though things seemed so close...she fought to hold back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. Sighing again, she wiped her eyes and went back to her task. 

"You shouldn't work yourself to deletion." 

Dot turned, startled, to the sound of the voice. She gave a sigh of relief, her hand to her chest. "Bob!" she exclaimed. "You're going to delete someone around here." she scolded. 

"Sorry." he said, walking over and kneeling in front of her. 

"I didn't know you in the room." 

"I could tell." he whispered, wiping away a small tear on her cheek. "I was worried about you, so I came up here." 

She nodded, rubbing her forehead absently. "Headache?" 

"Of course." she said. Sighing, she closed her eyes, again trying to stop an onslaught of tears. "Where did things go wrong, Bob?" she asked. "When did we, as sprites, friends, family, parents...when was the second we did something so wrong that we're on trial for our lives? When did we make that mistake that has now suddenly turned our own children against each other. When...when was the precise nano that we did...whatever we did, to make things turn out so wrong?" 

"I don't know, Dottie." he whispered. "I've been asking myself that this whole time." 

She opened her eyes and looked at him. His head was turned away and even now, she felt out of touch with her own husband, one of her best friends. He had a hollow look about him, one of defeat, something she had only seen maybe once before. She ran a small hand through his hair, instinctually knowing was wrong. "What is it, Bob?" she asked. 

The guardian sighed, then chuckled, if somewhat disheartedly. "I had a talk with Turbo before I came up here." he said. "He said things were up to me on how to handle this...whole thing." 

"You mean about Sabrina?" 

"Sabrina, Matrix, Enzo, Kit, Jet..." he spat bitterly. "It's a never ending list, isn't it? I swear, Dot, it's like trouble follows us where ever we go, like we've got a big target on our backs for trouble to aim at." 

Dot watched him as his anger seemed to decrease. She knew being the head of the Collective was slowly taking a toll on him. It wasn't exactly a roll he wanted, more like one he was handed and forced to do. "So what do you do?" 

"As head of the Academy and the Collective, I obviously fire Bri, strip her, Matrix, and Enzo of their icons, sit Kit and Jet down to find out what's going on." he rambled. "Now ask me that same question as Bob, father, brother, and uncle to those just mentioned." 

"I'm afraid I might not like the answer." she joked. 

"I don't even like the answer." Bob whispered. He stood up and started for the door. 

"Bob?" 

"I'm gonna go talk to Nikki." he said over his shoulder. "Try and find out where Jet is, make sure he's okay. Maybe stop Kit from leaving." 

"Good luck." she said. "He's being very stubborn about the whole thing." 

Bob stopped, turning back to her with a smile. "Now, who does that remind you of?" he joked, ducking out the door as a file flew at him.   


***

"Well?" 

"Things seem to be going as planned." McMillian reported. "My...sources say things are heating up in that little hotel of theirs and get this. Kit is leaving." 

"Leaving?" Gain asked. "Are you sure?" 

"Hey, my sources say he's packing as we speak." Vance replied. 

"And who exactly are these 'sources' you refer to?" Packard asked, his eyes narrowing. 

"That's for me to know and for you not to, Mr. Packard." McMillian said, coolly. "Just trust me on this." 

"Exactly how will Kit's leaving be good for our plan, Vance?" Gain asked. "If you've forgotten, I do need him for my own personal reasons." 

Vance smiled. "With Kit gone, that's one less sprite to deal with, right?" he asked. 

"With Kit gone, that's one less of the elements I get." Gain shot back. 

"Gentlemen, please." Packard spoke. "Arguing gets us no where. Back to this 'plan' and I do say it loosely, I have to agree with Mr. Gain. How will Kit's departure help us?" 

"I say we destroy them all now." Gain replied. 

"And I say you're both looking negatively at a good thing here." McMillian said. 

"I say the plan was negative from the start." 

"Gentlemen!" Packard exclaimed. "Now is not the time, but I will say this. If Kit does intend on leaving, that puts Jet on the forefront and I have a feeling he'll be an impressive force for the defense. I suggest that whatever plan we have in store be bumped up." 

***

Kit continued to pack his bags, despite repeated attempts by Dani for him to stop. She had stormed out sometime later, cursing him under her breath. Right now, Kit just didn't care. His brother. His _ brother_, of all people, had just fired him, told him he wasn't needed in this trial._ Just who does he think he is_? he thought. Yes, he was upset, but above everything else, he was hurt. He and Jet had been so close in the past, very close, and now they tried to beat the stuffing out of each other. 

He already had everyone else doubting him this whole time, why did Jet have to take their side and herald the charge against him? 

Sighing, he picked up his bags and headed downstairs. Coming down the stairs, he saw Jet and Nikki huddled around a new coffee table, files and the like surrounding them. Alex and Enzo sat across from them, watching as he descended. Jet turned, a large smile coming to his face. Kit braced for anything, taking the last steps and walking over. "I can tell by your smile, baby brother," he began, a smile of his own appearing. "You're either happy to see me or happy to see me leave." 

"I'm actually happy to see you." Jet replied. 

"Sorry to see me go, huh?" Kit asked. "Told you you'd feel bad." 

_What an ASCII_, Jet thought. 

_Down boy_, came his sister's retort. 

"On the contrary," the teen said, handing his brother a file. "I couldn't let you leave without giving you this." 

Kit took the file and looked at it, his energy starting to boil. "A supoena?" he asked, bitterly. 

"I'm sure you won't be," Jet began. "But please be on time. Tardiness is a sign of rudeness." 

"So is serving your brother a supoena." Kit spat. 

Jet stepped up to him, glaring him in the eye. "I have no brother." he said. "At least as far as this trial is concerned." 

"You little shit." Kit replied, advancing on him. "This has been some grand scheme of yours, hasn't it?" 

"What?" 

"Design everything to go badly, to make me look bad, so you can have all the glory." Kit continued. 

"Is that what you...You actually believe..." Jet sputtered, his bluish-green face now turning purple. "I have_ never _had the glory!" he shouted. "You're the glory-hog! And believe me, it will be my distinct pleasure of putting you on the stand tomorrow!" 

The two stood there, staring each other down, until Kit stepped closer to the teen. "We'll see, won't we?" he asked. "We'll see who gets the guts and glory." Leaning by his ear, he whispered, "And we'll see who gets everyone's approval." With that, Kit grabbed his bags and headed back upstairs. 

***

The next second came with slow, agonizing effort. The Mainframe defense was slowly crumbling and for three members of the spectators, things couldn't be any better. Jet and Nikki sat at their counsel table with their defendants, Kit being banned to sit behind them. All morning Jet had a smirk on his face. The prospect of revenge and vengance completely outweighed the fact that having his brother on the stand only hurt their mother and uncles chances. But Jet was on a mission, a mission to show everyone Christopher Lan wasn't the hot shot everyone thought him to be. That Kit had a talented brother who had to live in his older brother's shadow for so long, taken for granted with his accomplishments. 

Well, no longer.

Jet was going to take the null by the horns. 

"Mr. Lan, the floor is yours." Riley replied, blowing out a sigh. What he wouldn't do to have this trial over and done with. 

"Thank you, your honor." Jet responded, standing up with a confident air about him. "Defense calls Dr. Christopher Lan." 

Kit stood, fixed his suit, and walked towards the gate. Jet gave him a menacing glare as he walked past, but was rewarded when Kit pushed the gate hard into his brother's nether regions as it swung back. A low tatic, but Jet would not be persuaded. It was war. "State your name and relationship to the defendants." 

"Christopher Lan." Kit said. "_Doctor_ Christopher Lan. I'm the son and nephew of the defendants." 

"Mr. Lan..." 

"Doctor..." 

"_Mister _Lan," Jet began again, not bothering to hide the smirk on his face at Kit's irritation. "The character of our family has been poorly represented by the prosecution. Perhaps you can shed some light on a few things. First of all, please explain to the court the circumstances of Alexander Gain's injuries." 

"First of all," Kit began. "Alexander Gain should be charged with perjury. The intent of his arrival in Mainframe was to systemactically destroy us and the system itself." 

"Why, Dr. Lan?" Asked one counsel member. "What would Mr. Gain hope to achieve by riding the Net of Mainframe? The very system who saved the Collective from Daemon, I might add." 

Kit shifted in his seat and even Jet cringed slightly. Neither had taken account of the fact that their powers could be exposed by addressing the viral takeover. "Let's just say, his motives were purely selfish and would be the catalist for the takeover that happened in Mainframe." Kit explained. "It was Gain's purpose of revenge that caused him to infect both of my uncles, thereby causing the strange behavior we all noticed later on, which would carry over into the very event we speak of." 

"That doesn't answer your brother's question, Dr. Lan." Riley reminded. "He asked what was the role you played in Gain's attack." 

Kit glared at his brother before answering. "I won't deny that I was involved in the attack of Alexander Gain," he started. "But I am neither ashamed or guilty for it. Alexander Gain nearly deleted us. His goal was that of Net domination and we stopped him from it. In retaliation, he infected my uncles." 

"What about the claim of murder on your part, Dr. Lan?" asked another member. "And your time in the UFL?" 

"I was kidnapped and placed in the UFL by Vance McMillian and his henchmen." Kit replied. "My actions during that time were in order to survive and are in no way part of who I am." 

"I have no further questions, your honor." Jet said. 

"Mr. Peters?" 

Peters stood and said, "I have no questions at this time, your honor." 

Kit stepped down from the stand and started to walk back to his seat. Before reaching it, he stopped and looked Jet dead in the eye. "Get all your answers?" he asked, sneering at his brother. 

"Only the ones I needed." Jet answered, not showing any signs of backing down. Kit took his seat, still glaring at Jet, as the younger sprite replied, "I want to recall Alexander Gain, your honor. As a hostile witness." 

"Objection." Peters said. "Mr. Gain has already answered any and all questions..." 

"Not where I'm concerned." Jet shot back. 

"Genetlemen," Turbo interrupted. "I want to get to the bottom of everything mentioned in this trial. Gain takes the stand." 

Gain once again limped to the stand and took his seat. "So before I have this tribunal charge you with perjury," Jet began. "Why don't you tell us the real reason you were attacked?" 

Gain sat back and smirked. "Do you really want me to tell?" he asked. "Tell this court about...that certain thing I came looking for back in Mainframe." 

"Objection!" Nikki called, stunning her twin. 

"What're you doing?" Jet whispered, walking over to her. 

"What're _you_ doing?" she chastized. "Have you flipped your motherboard? You're gonna stand there and you're gonna let him tell these complete and total strangers about our powers, the very thing we said we would _never_ tell anyone who was not living in Mainframe about?" 

"It's gonna come out anyways, Nikki." Jet reminded her. 

"Not if you don't start anything about it." Matrix added. 

"You're going to land us in more trouble than we already are, dipswitch." Kit reprimanded. 

"You shut the hell up." Jet shot back. 

"Is defense going to continue questioning or are you going to have a leisurely conversation at the taxpayers expense?"   
Riley asked, sarcastically. 

"Just a slight disagreement on questioning, your honor." Jet apologized. 

"You really should be a little more organized, Mr. Lan." Riley said. "I would hate to know that you contributed in ruining your own defense." 

That stung. Jet grimaced at the harsh tone of Riley, his insecurities hitting him all at once. "Sit down." Nikki said,   
pushing her brother towards the chair. "Never send a sprite to do a woman's job. Mr. Gain," she began, stepping over Jet   
and making her way to the floor. "Have you always been a virus?" 

Gain looked at Nikki in some slight confusion, but answered slowly. "Yes..." 

"And in all that time of being a virus, where did you live?" she asked. "Did you take over systems and call them home?" 

"My family and I were cast out into the Web." he said. 

"Really." Nikki nodded. "So, while in the Web, did you seek help from the Net or did you seek help from the Web Riders that reside out there?" 

"Objection." Peters said. "What does this line of questioning have to do with anything?" 

"If you sat there and kept your big trap shut," Nikki retorted, turning towards him. "You'd find out." Looking at the   
counsel, she asked, "May I continue?" Turbo motioned her to do so. 

"Answer the question, Mr. Gain." 

"We didn't..." Gain started, but was quickly interrupted by Nikki. 

"Did you know that almost the entire Web Rider tribes have been wiped out?" she asked. "Isn't that incredible? I hear   
there was a lot, in my understanding. Tragic, no?" 

"No, it isn't." Gain spat. "Those bastards deleted my family and were going to delete me as well. Just ask your father   
about that." 

"Yeah, I don't think my dad's on the stand right now, is he?" Nikki quipped. "So we're just gonna have to deal with you. So, with that answer, I take it you had something to do with the entire genocide of the Web Riders. You know, in some   
circles, that's considered murder. So before you say anything about my family having some 'deleter's instinct', perhaps   
you should have a little talk with yourself, huh? Yeah. I think so." Before Gain could responded, Nikki quickly began her questioning again. "So besides being a virus bent on revenge for savage acts that only you have to be liable for, why don't you tell the court the _ real_ reason for you being Mainframe?" 

Gain smirked. "The real reason I was in Mainframe was to gather the five elements of power," he said. "The very elements that..." 

"Could you tell us what those are, please?" Nikki asked, sweetly. 

"They enable a virus complete and total power when gathered together." Gain answered. 

"For like a...viral takeover, maybe." 

"Yeah." Gain said. "Something like that." 

"No, I think it is like that." Nikki said. Taking a step further towards the virus, she said, "You arrived in Mainframe with the sheer purpose of taking it over once you found the elements, isn't that right?" 

"Yes." 

The umpteenth uproar started in the court. 

"And when you couldn't achieve that, you infected my uncles, who in turn infected my mother, so they could carry out your sick and twisted scheme..." 

"It was revenge!" Gain shouted. "Your father deleted my father!" 

"Can you prove that?" Nikki asked. 

"What?" Gain huffed. 

"Can you prove that?" she repeated. "Do you have any evidence that indicates my father in that deletion?" 

"I was there, spam it!" 

"Was this before or _after_ you murdered that Web Rider tribe?" 

"Why you little..." 

"Someone's getting testy." Nikki said, with a smile on her face. "I think you need a nap. No further questions." Nikki strolled back to her seat, saying, "That's how you question Alexander Gain." to her brothers as she sat down. 

"Dude," Sabrina said, giving her cousin a high five. "Nikki's on fire. Why isn't _she _leading our counsel?" 

"FAQ you, Bri." Jet and Kit mumbled in unison. 

"Touchy." she replied. "I think we know where the processor ended up in this family."

Jet spun around to look at her. "How bout I put you on the stand next, Bri?" he asked. "Then you can tell everyone your roll in Gain's beating. I'm sure Turbo would love to hear that story." 

"Jetison Patrick Lan, knock it off." Bob said sternly. "You have one job and one job only and that's to clear your family of any wrong doing. At this rate, you're going to put more blame on us than we really need and I can assure you, Jet, that is something you do _not_ want to happen."

The three offenders sat back, collectively silenced by the Prime Guardian. They were being petty and in some recess of each of their processors, they knew it. But on the forefront was the very reputations they had to keep for themselves and their very careers. Sabrina couldn't afford to have any bad press against her, especially when it would just come back to her uncle. Kit was moving up in the Net and he certainly couldn't afford to have his past come back against him. And Jet...poor Jet had a lifetime of achievement that begged to be noticed and unfortunately, it was taking the low road to do it. 


	11. Chapter Ten: Dreams & Revelations

** Viral Legacy**  
  


**Chapter Ten: Dreams/Revelations  
  
**

  
  
  


_The after deletion life is usually quiet and subdued. Many sprites who end up in this void keep to themselves or form alliances with the dearly departed. One alliance had occurred when a young sprite had arrived. She had met her programmer due to exposure to deadly chemicals. She had been scared, of course, but more worried than anything when learning she could never return to her husband or young son. A few hours later, she would meet a kind couple who had deleted in an experiment gone wrong. This little group could never imagine how close they would become until the young sprite's adult son landed in the system of the couple's children. Since then, the three had successfully guided their children to each other. Things had been rough with the onset of viruses, a super virus, and other mayhem, but it seemed things were going smoothly.  
  
It was just recently that the tiny group found themselves once again looking over the affairs of their family. As they escaped one danger, they were thrust into another. This is where the three found themselves, in front of the wise sprite who was like the protector of the spiritual place. Meredith Lan, still looking young and lovely, even though she had spent her son's entire time line in this place, placed a hand on the wise sprite's shoulder. "Please, Simon." she begged. "I have to at least make him see."  
  
The ancient sprite known as Simon shook his head, sighing. Ever since this whole trial in Trison had started, she had been begging him to let her talk to her husband. "And as I have said before, Miri," he replied. "It is not our place to decide the outcome of fate."  
  
"Surely you see the problem here." Dr. James Matrix persisted. He adjusted his glasses, then crossed his arms. "My children are looking at a deletion sentence if something isn't done."  
  
"James, please." Simon again sighed.  
  
"Simon," Dr. Patricia Matrix said, softly. "We're just worried, that's all."  
  
"As you should be." the wise sprite said. "But we can not interfere in this matter. Who knows what could happen if just one of you comes to them. They must work this out for themselves."  
  
Miri sat down on the white couch beside her. "I just can't understand him." she whispered. "Robbie was different. How could he change so drastically? I know my passing caused him so much pain, but...turning against Bobby like this? And Christopher! His own grandson hates him."  
  
Simon wheeled over to her, patting her on the shoulder. "I know this is hard, child." he said. "Who knows the ways of sprites these seconds? Your deletion hurt your husband more than we can ever know. And certainly his actions towards young Robert and his own family are causing far more hurt than we can truly decipher."  
  
"And this trial isn't helping either." James muttered.  
  
"Simon, you can see more about what's to come than we can." Patty said. "Tell me this isn't going to ruin them. Jet and Kit have been at each other's throats this whole time. They used to be so close."  
  
"My children, I can tell you that things will...find a way to work themselves out over time."  
  
The three groaned. Another one of Simon's vague answers. They never knew what he meant by any of it and he certainly didn't go the easy route and tell them the answers they seeked. They would just have to find out on their own. Miri sighed again. There had to be a way to reach Robert, bu she couldn't see how without breaking a rule or two, but she would find one.  
  
Her family depended on it.  
  
_ ***  
  
Another second, another second of trial. The stress was starting to hit Jet like a one ton truck of bricks. Since taking over the defense, he and Nikki had gone back over testimony of witnesses and the like. The only problem was, all the witness were trustworthy, with the exception of three highly suspicious witnesses. The twins couldn't poke holes in the prosecution even if they tried. The only thing Jet could do was call his own witnesses, but even the young attorney in training knew that was a dangerous move.  
  
"It's still your turn, Mr. Lan." Riley said, head resting on his fist. User, was he tried of this case.   
  
"Thank you, your honor." Jet replied, nervously. "Defense calls Sabrina Matrix."  
  
Sabrina looked up from her organizer's game, surprised Jet had called her. Clearing her throat, she handed the object to her brother, and made her way to the stand. "Ms. Matrix," Jet began. "Please tell the court your relationship to the defendants."  
  
"Well, Enzo Senior is my father and Dot and Enzo are my aunt and uncle." the young sprite replied.  
  
"Ms. Matrix, things have been said about your father's time in the games." Jet continued. "As well as his part in the viral takeover of your home system. Would you care to shed some light on the situation?"  
  
"Look," Sabrina said. "What my Mom and Dad did in the games was on survival. If they didn't do what they had to, they never would've made it home and therefore, wouldn't have had me or my brother. As for the viral takeover, I can tell you for a fact that Alexander Gain was 100% behind the orchestration of it." The crowd of spectators gasped. "My family was just the vehicle to deliver it."  
  
"No further questions."  
  
"Mr. Peters, your witness."  
  
"Thank you." Peters replied, standing and walking over the half game sprite. "Just so I understand, Ms. Matrix, are you saying that what your father did to poor Cody Richson was justified?"  
  
"Have you ever been in a game, Mr. Peters?" Sabrina asked. "Do you what it's like to hold the fate of an entire system in your hand? One little mistake and you delete and you take the system with you. My parents were stuck in the games for ten hours. During the Daemon War. With all ports to the Net closed. Is deletion ever justified, Mr. Peters? Of course not and I'm sure Cody what's his bucket was a nice guy and all, but you snooze, you lose. There is no game, set, pause in our neutral nets. You either win or you meet your programmer."  
  
"And I suppose your father taking over Mainframe was justified as well?" Peters asked.  
  
"Did you not hear me the first time?" Sabrina retorted. "I said Alexander Gain was behind it."  
  
"Do you have any proof?"  
  
"Other than the fact that he's a no good, dirty, son of a..."  
  
"Objection!" Jet cried.  
  
Riley looked at him in confusion. "You're objectioning to your own witness, Mr. Lan?"  
  
"Uh..." Jet murmured.   
  
"I have no further questions for this witness, your honor." Peters interrupted, heading back to his table. Sabrina sighed, stood, and headed back to her seat. Jet sat at the defense table, near compteplation of handing the reigns back over to Kit.  
  
"Your next witness, Mr. Lan." Riley replied.  
  
"I call..." Jet began, then hesitated. "I call Robert Lan to the stand."  
  
The crowd murmured and whispered, some unbelieving that the current Prime Guardian himself was being called to testify. Even Bob was caught off guard, but he slowly rose to his feet and headed for the chair. "Prime Guardian," Jet began, suddenly thinking on his feet for the first time in this trial. "In your opinion, were the steps used in the viral takeover of Mainframe practicing standards for the Collective?"  
  
Bob looked at his son. Didn't he realize the danger he had put their family in? "No." Bob said, causing the crowd to once again gasp at the response of the defendants. "If anything, special measures were employed to due to the...circumstances that evolved."  
  
"I see..." Jet replied, trailing off. He had made a big mistake in asking _that_ question. He hoped his next one would prove to be better. "So family and friends are more important to you than anything else?"  
  
"Of course they are." Bob answered. "The best thing you can ever have are family and friends."  
  
"No further questions."  
  
"Mr. Peters."  
  
"I just have one question for you, Prime Guardian, sir." Peters said from his seat. "What do you plan to do?"  
  
"Excuse me?" Bob asked.  
  
"What are you planning to you with those guardians that have disobeyed Collective rules?"  
  
"I'm not sure..."  
  
Peters stood and walked over to the stand. "Your students, the Matrix brothers, as well as Sabrina Matrix, are all under you command, are they not?" he asked.  
  
"I believe that's more than one question." Bob chuckled nervously.  
  
"Question one, part one." Peters said, sarcastically. "Please answer the question."  
  
"The Matrixes are under my command, yes."  
  
"So what does Collective rules say about assaulting a citizen or even murder?"  
  
"Objection!" Jet cried. "Counsel is badgering the witness!"  
  
"Over ruled." Riley said.   
  
"Well?" Peters asked.  
  
"It is...forbidden to assault a citizen while in your system..."  
  
"And of any system, unless provoked, isn't that right?" Peters asked. "So what are the penalties, Mr. Lan? Isn't assault constituted by suspension or even expulsion from the Guardian Collective?"  
  
"Objection!" Nikki exclaimed.  
  
"That is enough, Mr. Peters." Turbo boomed. "The Prime Guardian isn't on trial here. As for reprimands, those will be dealt with in a timely manner and as soon as this trial concludes." The former Prime directed his comment to his successor.  
  
"I have no more questions."  
  
Bob returned to his seat, giving his youngest a look that said there certainly would be reprimands for the defense. Jet sighed. His abilities as lead defense was being to show and it wasn't showing a good side. He could hear Kit snickering behind, knowing his brother has been right about him. Jet was trying to impress and not trying to help his family. "Mr. Lan," Riley said, impatiently. "Your next witness."  
  
Jet bit his bottom lip. "Defense calls..." he stuttered. He then turned to look at his defendants. "Defense calls Dot Matrix to the stand." The crowd was shocked, as was the court.  
  
"Mr. Lan," Turbo replied. "I suggest you reconsider that choice. You do realize that if you call any of your defendants, they are subject to cross-examination. Are you sure you want this?"  
  
"No." Jet whimpered. Realizing he sounded like a little baby, he cleared his throat. "Actually, if it may please the court, I'd like to have a short recess."  
  
"Mr. Lan, you are quickly trying this court's patience." Riley said, sternly.  
  
"You may have the rest of the second, Mr. Lan." one counsel member said. "But for your sake and the sake of your family, I hope you are much more prepared."  
  
  
***  
  
Jet stormed off to his hotel after the trial, ignoring everyone and transporting himself there. "Basic." he spat, pacing his room like a caged tiger. "You basic, little..." He stormed around, kicking at files on the floor before finally punching the wall in front of him. He then out a scream. "For the love of...oh dear User, that FAQing hurt! I think I broke every digit in my hand." A knock on the door quieted him for a nano before he squeaked, "Who is it?"  
  
Enzo opened the door a notch and peeked inside. "What in the World Wide Web are you doing in here?" he asked, coming inside and closing the door.  
  
"Nothing." Jet said. "Just fracturing my hand is all. What do you want?"  
  
"I was elected to come and find you." his uncle replied. "I figured you'd be up here."  
  
"This was the first place you looked?" Jet asked, surprised.  
  
Enzo nodded, while Jet groaned. "What can I say?" his uncle shrugged. "You're practical. Besides, I just asked Nikki and she kinda homed in on your signal, I guess. I thought it was some twin thing."  
  
Jet once again took up his pacing. "I couldn't help but notice you seem a bit agitated recently." Enzo commented. "Anything wrong?"  
  
Jet stopped to look at him. "Anything wrong?" he sputtered. He moved his arms in motion to their surroundings. "What is this? A vacation? Yes, things are most definitely wrong, Enzo."  
  
"There's no need to get snippy."  
  
Jet sighed, closed his eyes, and fell back on his bed. "Am I random in thinking things are only going to Dell as long as I'm in charge?" he asked.  
  
Enzo took a seat beside the bed and crossed his legs. "Tell me what you are feeling, my son." he said, in his best Phong impression. Jet opened his eyes, gave him a look, then closed them again. "I have sensed some conflict." Enzo continued.   
  
Jet rolled his eyes, then sighed. "Do you ever get the impression that being the youngest means you have a specific model to follow?"  
  
"Come again?"  
  
Jet sat up and looked at the green sprite. "Didn't you ever feel like...because you're...because you're...well, you know...a copy of Matrix, that people expected you to _be_ Matrix."  
  
Enzo looked at him in confusion at first, until recognition swept through his processor. "Is that what this is about?" he asked. "You think people want you to be like someone else?"  
  
"I did ask you a question, you know." the teenager said, standing and pacing once more.  
  
"And I asked you one." came the retort. The two were silent for a bit before Enzo answered, "Actually, people wanted me to be the exact _opposite_ of Matrix. If anything they never wanted a repeat performance of...things, if you get my drift." Enzo leaned forward and scratched his head. "Look, Jet," he began. "As you may have gotten from this trial, Matrix went through a lot of things that I didn't. That really does make the difference, you know."  
  
"How?" Jet asked, turning to face him. "How does what happen to Matrix...?"  
  
"I didn't grow up in the games." Enzo continued. "Matrix did. Dot and Bob, and even Matrix, made sure that would never happen. Did I get annoyed that Dot treated like a baby until...well, she still treats me like a kid sometime...but yeah. It pissed me off. But it was because she cared. She had lost one brother, she didn't want to lose another." Jet was silent. "Look, I seem to be getting the feeling that you're trying to win this trial in order to get away from Kit..."  
  
"As long as I've processed, Enzo, everyone has expected me to be a Kit in the making." Jet responded, bitterly. "I'm not Kit. Nor do I aspire to be him." He looked at his uncle, pleading and desperation in his eyes. "I need to win this case, Enzo." he said. "I'm going to and then it'll be about me and not him." Jet took a deep breath. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I'm going for a walk."  
  
***  
  
  
"I'm glad you could see me, Bob."  
  
Bob sighed, as he sat down in front of his former superior. This was the second time Turbo had called him in, especially now after the cross-examining he had gotten that morning. So Bob sat in front of a large desk in the chambers of the makeshift judges chambers, waiting to hear what Turbo had to say. "I think you know why I asked you to come." Turbo continued.  
  
"I have a fairly good idea." Bob sighed.  
  
Turbo nodded. He looked the new Prime in the eye and asked, "What _are_ you planning to do, Bob? With your students?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"You know the Collective has certain...rules...for this kind of thing."  
  
"You want me to strip them, don't you?" Bob asked. Turbo just looked at him. "It's not that easy." Bob continued. "It be different if they weren't family, but...we've gone through enough. We're _going_ through enough. My family's at the breaking point as is."  
  
"Bob," Turbo began, laying his hands on the desk. "I know you and your family have overcome a variety of obstacles, but I hope you don't think you can skirt Guardian protocol on this. Technically, I should have you fired as Prime Guardian."  
  
Bob looked up, shock and anger in his eyes.  
  
"But I'm not." Turbo said. "But I am leaving your students up to you. How you handle the Matrixes is your business, though I hope you will try and have some sense of the law you are required to uphold. You're dismissed."  
  
When Bob left, he was seething. He wasn't sure what made him angrier, the fact that Turbo had heaped this whole thing on him; the fact that as Prime Guardian, it was his duty to carry out whatever sentence he deemed fit for those involved; or the fact that inadvertently, Sabrina, Enzo, and Matrix had gotten themselves royally screwed. As he zipped through the city, he tried to think of a way, _any_ way that would punishable by protocol without having to actually have protocol. When he reached the hotel, he steeled himself for the task that awaited him.  
  
As he walked in, he noticed some of the tension they had been experiencing seemed to have lifted. Matrix and AndrAIa were snuggled up in the arm chair by the fireplace; Enzo and Alex sat on the sofa, quietly picking out baby names; Sabrina, Roscoe, and Nikki were putting puzzle together; Kit and Dani sat on opposite ends of the living room, Kit reading a science read me, while Dani worked a project of her own. Bob did notice her casual glances towards her fiancee, ones he either didn't see or chose to ignore. Bob sighed, knowing what he was planning on doing wouldn't help situations. He didn't see Dot or Jet anywhere, figuring they were off doing their thing. At least they didn't have to see this.  
  
"Bri, Enzo, Matrix, may I see you three in the kitchen for a nano?" he asked. "Private format?"  
  
The sprites looked up at the announcement, having not noticed Bob as he stood watching them. The three in question looked at each other, before rising up, and filing into the kitchen, Bob right behind them. "Something wrong, Uncle Bob?" Sabrina had asked, once the door closed.  
  
"I had another meeting with Turbo earlier." he replied.  
  
"And...how did that go?" asked Enzo.  
  
"I've got a couple of decisions to make." Bob said, matter of factly. When the three gave him looks that clearly said for him to press on, he followed up with, "Decisions that have to do with whether or not I strip you of your Guardian titles."  
  
The three were stunned. "But Uncle Bob, you can't do that." Bri insisted.  
  
"And why not?" he asked, becoming very agitated. "I am Prime Guardian, Sabrina, and I have the right in making those decisions."  
  
"The question is," Matrix spoke for the first time. "What decisions did you come to?"  
  
"I haven't." the blue guardian whispered. "Not officially anyways. I have some thoughts, some you definitely won't like."  
  
"Such as?"  
  
"Simple." Bob replied. "I suspend Sabrina and Enzo from active duty."  
  
"What?" the two cried.  
  
"And me, Bob?" Matrix asked.  
  
Bob shrugged. "I don't know, Matrix."  
  
"Bob, you really can't be serious!" Enzo pleaded.  
  
"Does it look like I'm joking, Enzo?" the sprite exclaimed. "I'm actually giving you guys a break! I could very easily strip you of the Guardian protocol and icon right now, so don't give me any more reason to do so."  
  
The three were silent.  
  
"You're getting off very easy." he continued, slightly calmer. "I'm going against rules and regs because you're family. Do you think I want you to be stripped of everything you have ever worked for? I wouldn't do that to you. I couldn't and I won't, but please. Don't treat me as the bad guy in this. This is your own damn faults. As much as I would've _loved_ to have beaten Gain's ASCII along with you, I didn't. That alone has doomed you and doomed_ us_ in the process. I hope against hope we get out of this with even our semi good names intact." The guardian sighed. "That's it." he whispered. "You guys are dismissed." The three slunked by him, but before they reached the door, he added, "This hurts me too, you know." He turned to face them. "I didn't want this."  
  
"We know, Bob." Matrix said, holding the door as Enzo and Sabrina left, the large sprite following after them.  
  
***  
  
The Super Computer, more specifically, the SC's large memorial grounds to those that have deleted. The old sprite that stood there hadn't been here in hours. He felt he had neglected his duties as a husband for not visiting her more often, but he had tried to forget how much it hurt to have her leave him. As he stared down at the headstone that marked where her deleted ashes, corpse, whatever remnants of her were left, were under that marker. He remembered, so many hours ago, how he had come here to her funeral, eyes full of tears and a small boy holding one of his hands.  
  
He sniffed once, holding back tears that threatened to escape. User, he missed her. He didn't think someone like her could ever fall for a sprite like him. He was reserved and laid back; she was outgoing, a social butterfly, but somehow they did indeed get together and got married. Then had....  
  
_Him_.  
  
The very thought of the boy made the sprite seethe with anger. This was his fault. He had deleted his beautiful wife, the love of his life. Robert Packard had never been the same after that. His reason for processing was gone and it was that son of theirs that caused her death.  
  
_Robbie, that's not true._  
  
Packard turned around quickly, thinking he had heard something from behind him. He saw nothing and turned back to stare at that headstone.  
  
_Robbie, what happened to you? Why are you so angry?_  
  
Again, the blue sprite turned and saw no one. "You're losing your grip, Packard." he muttered to himself. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something. It was like a fog or a mist that was coming together to form something...no, _someone!_ Packard watched, a man transfixed as the eerie shape took it's form and then was shocked to see who that form was. "It can't be..." he whispered, walking closer to the entity. Upon a closer look, he found he was correct in his assumptions.  
  
_"Are you just going to stand there or will I get a hug?"  
  
_"Meredith..." he whispered, his arms outstretched as he came to hold her. But as his arms enclosed, he hugged air and his departed wife was no longer in front of him, but behind him.  
  
_"Sorry." she said. "I forgot you can't really touch me."_  
  
Packard turned and walked up to her. She was still as beautiful as the second he met her. His hand went to cup her face, but realizing he wouldn't be able to touch her, it slowly went down to his side. "Is that really you?" he whispered.  
  
_"In a sense." the apparition replied. "I've missed you, Robbie."  
_  
"User, I've missed you." he said, wanting to hold her and knowing he couldn't.  
  
She reached out to touch his face, but pulled back. _"Robbie, we need to talk." she said. "About Bobby."_  
  
The blue sprite tense at the nickname she had given their son. _"Why are you doing this, Robbie?" she asked, her face on the verge of tears. "You're hurting him so much."_  
  
"Have you seen what he's done to his own son?" Packard asked, incredulously. "Our grandson, Meri, is a murderer. Just like the boy."  
  
_"Robert, that is not true and you know it."_  
  
"You're dead because of him!"  
  
_"No!" she exclaimed. "It was an accident, Robert. Bobby had nothing to do with that."  
_  
"It was the Guardians who did this to you," he said, reaching out to touch her. "And the boy is one of them. He might as well have deleted you himself."  
  
Meredith Lan shook her head. Who was this sprite? _"You've changed, Robbie." she whispered. "It's like I don't know you anymore."_  
  
"I died when you did." was the response. "I am dead."  
  
A blaring noise shook Packard from his state. He looked around and found himself in his grotesque boardings for the trial. A dream. All a dream. He surprised himself when he sniffed and wiped a stray tear from his eye. She didn't understand, wouldn't understand how lost he was without her. How the boy was the cause of his torment. Well, the boy would pay. The blue sprite stood, straightening himself out as he got ready for their final meeting.  
  
The chips were in place and Packard hoped they would be lucky.  
  
***  
  
Jet had walked around the system of Trison for User knows how long. If he had been paying attention, he would have seen the majority of the system's sights and attraction, but he wasn't. The young sprite was still thinking about the trial and how much he had buried them into it. He tried to think about how to combat the prosecution, but he couldn't. If he didn't call his mother or uncles to the stand, that was it.  
  
He was out of witnesses.  
  
Which wouldn't be so bad if things were going their way, but they weren't. The evidence was _clearly_ against them. The prosecution had ensured that they be seen as the criminals they were being protrayed as. And certainly the behavior of counsil did nothing to boost their popularity. Jet sighed. He couldn't believe this. The constant sibling rivalry that began the trial would soon land his family in jail. Jet could see it now. Certainly, his mother and uncles would go to prison, then Sabrina would be stripped of her Guardian duties (he knew that was his father's only choice as Prime Guardian). Jet knew Peters wuld almost certainly charged Kit with murder and then his brother would go to jail. Then what would happen? That left Chip at the mercy of whoever, knowing that his mother would only follow suit in with the same charge.  
  
Jet continued to walk, hoping the wetness on his face was just a random data storm. He had really messed things up. In his attempt to break free from a shadow he thought was placed on him, he had doomed his mother and uncles a prison sentence. He didn't want his family to go to jail. And he certainly didn't want to be the one to help them to it. Jet stopped, sniffed, and tried to control himself. When he finally looked at his surroundings, he realized it was way past downtime and there few people out. He also realized he had landed himself in the less than reputable side of the system. His family was probably worried sick, he needed to go back.  
  
As he looked around, he knew he couldn't transport back. At least not in the open. Wouldn't _that_ be great? He started up walking again, looking for any secluded place that would get him back to the hotel and not get him deleted. He found his way to a dark allway that had a large motel next to it. The place seemed to be dark and quiet, so Jet slipped into it nicely. He looked around, making sure no one was around to see what he was about to. When he was ready, he closed his eyes and started to visualize the hotel.  
  
But a loud argument coming from upstairs stopped him.  
  
***  
  
Kit read through the same paragraph in his read me for the 22nd time. Periodically, he glanced at the tall clock by the way, other times he glanced over at his fiance. At this moment, he was glancing at the clock. He saw the time, then looked at his watch. His brother had yet to come home and the older sprite was growing increasingly worried. He knew Jet wanted to blow off some steam and Kit was most certainly re-thinking his behavior towards him. This session of the sibling rivalry game was soon getting into dangerous territory and if it didn't stop soon, they would land their mother in jail.  
  
"Shouldn't Jet be back by now?" he asked.  
  
The sprites who were still up looked at the clock. "I didn't realize it was so late." Enzo said, looking up at the face.  
  
"Time for bed, Scooter." Alex cooed, illiciting a grin from her husband.  
  
"Goodnight, everybody." he said, as the couple rose. As he walked past Kit, he said, "Don't worry bout Jet. He just has some stuff to work out. Give him another milli."  
  
Kit nodded slightly, once again looking at the clock. He stole a glance towards Dani, who regarded him with her own look. "Well, I'm off too, I guess." she said, standing. She walked past Kit, ignoring his outstrecthed hand and, "Dani..." to head upstairs to her room. Kit looked skyward and sighed.  
  
"I'd try talking to her." AndrAIa said.  
  
Kit regarded her with a look. "Really, Sherlock?" he asked, sarcastically. "What a brilliant idea."  
  
"At least I'm not in the doghouse." AndrAIa mumbled, sticking her tongue out at Kit and wrapping her arms around Matrix.  
  
"Would the two of you get a room?"  
  
"With pleasure." Matrix replied, picking his wife up in his arms and carrying her upstairs. Kit just shook his head and rolled his eyes. He again looked at the clock.  
  
_Where in the Net was he?_  
  
***  
  
Jet, meanwhile, had forgotten all about returning to the hotel when he heard the commotion from the room above him. He wouldn't have given it a second thought if he didn't recognize one of those voices. Being careful to remain quiet, Jet climbed the fire escape to the second floor. Reaching the balcony, he stayed close to the brick wall in order to hear more.  
  
"I say we take what we want now and avoid waiting any longer." one voice demanded.  
  
"Now listen to me," said another. "We have them right where we want them. Why screw it up?"  
  
"Gentlemen, gentlemen," came another. "I assure you that this case has already been won. By me."  
  
Jet's eyes widened. _It couldn't be. It just couldn't be._  
  
"And you're so sure of that."  
  
"Of course I am." the speaker continued. "Were you not there today? If you thought Kit Lan was a lousy attorney, his brother is much worse. I about threw a party when he suggested calling Dot Matrix to the stand."  
  
"Damn that Turbo." muttered Gain. "Intereferring in things he shouldn't."  
  
"Hey," Peters replied, helping himself to a drink. "He's not Prime Guardian any more and at this rate, either will the current Prime."  
  
"Are you sure Jet Lan isn't gonna get in our way?" Vance asked.  
  
"First and foremost, Jet Lan can suck me." Peters stated. "Secondly, he and Dr. Lan are having issues, which of course is aiding to your plan. He's got no more witnesses unless he wants to crucify himself and call his defendants. I'm telling you, tomorrow Dot Matrix and her brothers are going to jail. Then you can do to whoever, whatever you want."  
  
"I want those powers." Gain told Vance.  
  
"And I want my title back." he responded. "And believe me, once you have Sabrina Matrix, Roscoe will come begging on his knees."  
  
Jet stayed close to the wall as possible. He couldn't believe it. It was a set up. It seemed the three witnesses they had dreaded had teamed up and had planned to do away with them. And worse, the prosecutor was in on it! Jet couldn't understand it. Gain and McMillian he could figure, but Packard? His own _grandfather_? He didn't think sprites went around turning their backs on their family ~ though what he knew about Megabyte and Hexadecimal, viruses seemed to be the only ones~ but here he was, listening as his grandfather, his father's father, took part in a plan that would send his family to the slammer.  
  
A plan in which he and Kit had helped right along.  
  
The teen balled his fists. _How basic could you be, dipswitch?_ he chastized himself. He knew from the beginning that the conflict he and Kit were involved in was having a profound affect on their case and their chances. And apparently to top it off, three of the family's new found hated enemies had used that in their favor. The boy couldn't help but feel completely overwhelmed now.  
  
"I want Nikki." Gain replied, taking a sit on the plush couch. "After what that little tart put me through on the stand the other second, I think I need to teach her a lesson, if you know what I mean."  
  
The other three laughed, while Packard seethe. "That's my granddaughter you're talking about." he growled.  
  
"I didn't see you coming to her rescue when we first taught up this plan." Gain said. "In fact, I vaguely remember you wanting to save your other grandson."  
  
Packard was silent. "I saw some potential in the boy," he whispered. "Now, I'm not so sure."  
  
_Well, that hurt_, Jet thought. It was bad enough that his own family didn't truly believe in him, now his estranged grandfather didn't believe in him either. A realization came to Jet like a virus to a system. This was the turning point. The teen had first hand knowledge of a plot to put his family in prison and he could use that. Against them. But first he needed to research, to make sure this final and last stand was in_ their _favor and that they be the victors in this battle.   



	12. Chapter Eleven: Witness in Persecution

** Viral Legacy**  
  
**Chapter Eleven: Witness in Persecution**  
  
  
  
The next and possibly last second of trial got underway with different emotions. Peters walked in, all smiles, knowing he had won this case and knowing what it would do to his career. On the defense side, worry gave way to anything on their processors. Jet Lan had not returned to his hotel last night and his family was growing increasingly concerned. More importantly, as Jet had taken over the defense, the case and their fates rested in his hands.  
  
And the teen was no where to be found.  
  
Nikki was getting extremely anxious. Jet had shut her out of the proceedings as well, so now she was left without a paddle, so to speak, and she couldn't help but notice that Peters was looking way too smug for the morning and Gain kept giving her looks that gave her the jaggies and creeped her out. Kit, too, was worried. It wasn't like his brother to stay out all night. He didn't think their bickering could possibly lead to his brother going off somewhere, especially in a system they weren't from and didn't know.  
  
"And where is counsil today, Miss Lan?" asked Riley.  
  
Nikki quickly rose to address the judge and counsel. "Um..." she stammered, looking around the court. "Could we have a delay?"  
  
"I'm sorry, but your brothers have used up all your delays." a counsel member said, causing Nikki to send a look to her oldest brother. "I'm sorry. The counsel feels a decision is close at hand, unless you have any witnesses to call."  
  
"Eh..." Nikki stumbled, looking towards her mother and uncles. "Um..."  
  
"Hold everything!" came a shout from the back of the room. The court turned to see a dishelved Jet Lan storm into the court room. He was still wearing his suit from yesterday, his tie undone and sleeves rolled up. All at once, he was bombed by questions from his family, until Riley banged his gavel for order. "Order! Order!" he demanded. Pointing the wooden instrument at the defense, he said, "I've had just about enough of your antics, Mr. Lan."  
  
"I'm sorry, your honor." Jet apologized, trying to catch his breath.  
  
"Where have you been?"  
  
"Do you have any idea how worried we've been?"  
  
"Where did you go?"  
  
"You nearly had us call out a search party." Kit said, his hand on his brother's shoulder.  
  
"I know." Jet gulped, a small smile on his face. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Mr. Lan..."  
  
"Yes, honor." Jet began, straightening his tie and cleaning himself up a bit. "I'm sorry for being late, sir, but something of importence came up and..."  
  
"Spare the court your excuses, Mr. Lan." Riley repiled. "Let's just end this thing and go home. Any witnesses?"  
  
"Yes, your honor." Jet said, confidently. "The defense calls one last witness."  
  
The court was surprised as were those at the defense table. Riley motioned for Jet to get on with it. "Defense calls T. Johnson Peters to the stand."  
  
The court errupted into chaos. Peters himself was just as stunned. "Order! Order!" Riley again exclaimed. "Mr. Lan, what is the meaning of this?"  
  
"I agree, your honor." Peters piped up. "What exactly is Mr. Lan trying to prove by calling me to the stand?"  
  
"If I may approach counsel table?"  
  
The counsel looked at each other, then at Turbo. "All right, son." said the former Prime. Jet went over and whispered something to the table. They seemed stunned and shocked by what Jet was telling them. "What do you suppose he's telling them?" Nikki asked no one in particular.  
  
"Maybe he's getting us a reprise." Sabrina suggested.  
  
"I think he has more up his sleeves than we think." Kit muttered.  
  
When Jet was finished talking, he waited for the counsel's decision. "Although this is highly unorthodox," Turbo began, looking at the other members at the table. "Take the stand, Mr. Peters."  
  
Peters stood from his table, sending a glare to Jet ~one in which the teen returned~ and headed for the stand. "Mr. Peters," Jet began, pacing the floor. "What exactly are your intentions in this trial?"  
  
Peters smirked. "You're kidding, right?"  
  
"Just answer the question, TJ." Riley pleaded.  
  
"My intentions, as you so put it, Mr. Lan," Peters replied. "Is to put your family in jail where they belong."  
  
"And to further your career, no doubt."  
  
"No doubt." the attorney responded, smugly.  
  
"Well then," Jet began. "Mind telling the court where you were last night?"  
  
"I was at home." was the answer.  
  
Jet stopped pacing to regard the witness. "You sure about that?" he asked. When Peters didn't respond, Jet reached into his pocket and removed a few small pop up windows. "What if I said I have video evidence that you were at a sleezy motel in the downtown sector?"  
  
Peters leaned back in the chair. "I would say I was...entertaining." he replied. "And there's nothing wrong with that."  
  
"What if I said I was also at said sleezy motel?"  
  
"Then I'd say you're a pervert and need a girlfriend."  
  
"That's enough, Mr. Peters." chastized a member. "Please continue, Mr. Lan."  
  
"Thank you." Jet once again started to pace. "You see, Mr. Peters, I just happened to be wandering around this system, when I came upon that sleezy motel and where I heard a most interesting conversation." He stopped and looked at Peters. "Want me to tell you how it goes?"  
  
All Peters did was clear his throat.   
  
"I happen to overhear someone who sounded a lot like you and looked a lot like you mention certain things that probably shouldn't be discussed outside of chambers." Jet started. "Care to talk about that?"  
  
"You have no proof."  
  
"Defense exhibits D and E, your honor," Jet said. "Exhibit E, Mr. Peters, is a record of said conversation. Now, again I ask you, where were you last night?"  
  
Peters again cleared his throat. "So I was at the sleezy motel and yes, I had a meeting of sorts."  
  
"With who?"  
  
"Now I can't tell you that." Peters replied. "I can say I was paid hansomely for my services."  
  
The energy in Jet's body began to boil. "I asked you a QUESTION!" he exclaimed. "Who did you meet with last night?"  
  
Peters was silent until Turbo demanded, "You're in enough trouble as is, counselor. I suggest you answer the man's question."  
  
Peters tried to stare down the former Prime, with no success. Blowing out a frustrated breath, he replied, "Vance McMillian and Alexander Gain."  
  
As the court went in an uproar, Jet replied, "No further questions." and went back to his table.   
  
"Order! Order!" Riley demanded. "I will have order in this court!"  
  
"Everyone calm down!" Turbo exclaimed. "There will be a millisecond recess. After that, the verdict in this case will be heard." To Peters, he said, sternly, "I suggest you stay where you are, Mr. Peters."  
  
"That's where you were last night?" Kit asked, his hand on his brother's shoulder. "You were tailing him?"  
  
"No," Jet replied. "I was telling the truth up there, but that's the least of our problems. I'm sure Gain and McMillian heard every single word just now and if we don't find them, they're gonna get away it."  
  
Jet's words didn't have to convince Chip Matrix. He had already been standing when his cousin came back over. He wanted his hands on Gain, but to do that, the boy had to find him. The court was already milling around, talking at a fever pitch about the new development in the case and the fact a verdict would be forthcoming. There! He saw them, trying to make their way out the door, a worried Robert Packard slinking behind them like the snake his was. "Hey!" the teen cried, bursting from his row and giving chase to the trio. Jet and Kit suddenly realized their fears were coming true and the real criminals were about to get away.  
  
***  
  
"That dirty son of a null." Vance seethed, his eye on Peters the whole time. The prosecutor had just turned traitor and had now exposed him and his plan.   
  
"We need to get out of here." Gain hissed, his eyes darting back and forth between the door and the defense. He knew they would be after them before Peters even stepped down.  
  
"This is bad, genetlemen." Packard whispered. "Very bad."  
  
As the court went in an uproar, Jet replied, "No further questions." and went back to his table.   
  
"Order! Order!" Riley demanded. "I will have order in this court!"  
  
"Everyone calm down!" Turbo exclaimed. "There will be a millisecond recess. After that, the verdict in this case will be heard." To Peters, he said, sternly, "I suggest you stay where you are, Mr. Peters."  
  
"Let's get out of here." Vance suggested, slowly standing as the spectators milled about, each talking about the current situation. The trio had made it to the door, until they heard "Hey!" and they took off running. Tearing through the hallways until they reached the door to outside, the three sprites split up. Gain didn't bother to see where the other two went, he just wanted to get the heck out of Dodge. He wasn't moving very fast anyway, thanks to his injury sustained in that retched system of Mainframe, but he thought he was doing okay when he sprinted into a nearby alley, only to be hit from behind and knocked down.  
  
"Guess who." said the green sprite.  
  
***  
  
Packard and McMillian each headed west, while Gain headed in the opposite direction. Both sprites had been keeping up with each, trying to distance themselves between the court and everyone in it. Vance picked up the pace, then said, "This is where we part company, old sprite." He ran into Packard, causing the blue sprite to stumble and fall. Vance pushed the pace further, taking a zipboard from a group of teens who stood on a nearby corner.  
  
He was home free.  
  
***  
  
The Lan boys quickly raced after Chip, hearing the teen exclaim as he watched their enemies escaping from the courtroom. Both boys caught up with the lad when he skidded to a stop at the steps of the building, searching frantically for his prey. Finding him, the green sprite took off after Gain in a flash. The Lan brothers also saw their prey scurring away and quickly started up the chase. Jet was surprised when Roscoe came up behind and passed him, hurrying in the direction McMillian had taken after knocking Packard to the ground.  
  
The blue sprite, seeing the boys coming, quickly stood and began his stride again, but was soon tackled by Kit. A small struggled took place as the two wrestled on the ground. Kit finally pulled the old sprite up by his shirt and decked him for his troubles. "Kit!" Roscoe cried, blurring past him on his own zipboard. "He's getting away!" The doctor pushed Packard into his brother's waiting arms.   
  
"Watch him." he growled, before taking out his board and following after Roscoe.  
  
"You see that, Jet?" Packard replied, wiping some of the energy from his split lip. "That's what you come from. Assailants and murderers. Is that what you want for your life, Jetison? Becoming someone like your brother?"  
  
Jet stared at the sprite, the person who was supposed to be his grandfather. "I am nothing like my brother." he said.  
  
"Then come with me." the sprite replied. "I can take you away from all of this. I'll save you."  
  
"I think you need to worry about saving yourself." Jet sneered, handing the sprite over to some Guardians who had been called out to keep peace in the system. "Grandpa."  
  
"You don't know what you're doing!" Packard shouted, as he was being hauled away. "You're making the same mistake your father did. And he'll pay for what he's done. As will you, Jetison Lan! I promise you that!"  
  
***  
  
Gain tried to stand up, but was quickly kicked in the midsection. "Get up." Chip growled. "GET UP!"  
  
"We're going to play this game again, are we?" Gain said, stumbling to his feet. "I remember the last time we played together."  
  
"So do I." the teen said, removing his jacket and rolling up his sleeves. "And if_ you_ remember, I promised I'd get you."  
  
Gain thought back to that moment. He had been in Lost Angles when young Chip Matrix came through. He had quickly captured the boy and regained his power. As he lay on the ground, Gain demanded the boy call the other elements.  
  
_ "Byte me." Chip whispered, squeezing a few tears from his eyes.  
  
"You'll do it or I delete your parents." Gain whispered back. Getting by the boy's ear, he said, "Your mother is very beautiful, you know. I would hate for you and your father to watch what I could do to her." The virus grinned, saying, "Wouldn't you like a younger brother?"  
  
Chip tried to quell his anger, the fury only making his pain worse. He turned slowly to look at his tormentor, his blue eyes moist with tears, but seething with ire. "When I see you again," he whispered. "Your ASCII is mine. And believe me...you're gonna pay."_   
  
Gain looked at the boy turned teenager. He certainly wasn't smaller any more and if he remembered anything from the trial, other than never trust the prosecutor, it was that Chip Matrix had his father's temper. In a personal first, the virus wasn't sure he wanted to take on this bigger and stronger Chip. But the green sprite didn't give him a chance to decide. In a flash, Chip came flying with his right, hitting Gain right in the nose. The virus barely had time to snap back when Chip used his incredible speed to get behind Gain and punch him in the back, causing the virus to fall once again.  
  
"What's a matter, Alex?" Chip taunted. "You're not so cocky now, you smug son of a batch. Where's Mr. High and Mighty, huh?"  
  
Gain struggled to get back to his feet, when Chip delivered an elbow to his lower back, sending him back down. "Maybe it's because I'm not a little boy anymore, huh? So you're big shit when you're attacking little kids, but you can't handle a teen sprite, huh? Get up."  
  
"This is how you got in trouble the last time." Gain spat and was quickly punched again.  
  
"What was that you said about my mom last time?" Chip asked. "Something about whether I wanted a little brother, wasn't it?" Chip's speed was no match for the crippled Gain, as the boy picked him up and slammed his against a nearby wall. "You listen to me, you sick bastard." he growled. "No one, but _no one_, makes lewd comments about my mother. I suggest you look into taking some lessons in learning your manners. But I'm sure someone named Bubba will be happy to share some insights with you."  
  
***  
  
Vance glanced between him and knew if the two sprites that followed got to him, he'd be in deep nulls. He could see neither looked happy and he remembered what happened when those two weren't happy. Picking up speed, he darted in and out buildings and people in order to lose his persuers. Again he looked behind him and was estatic to see no one there. Chuckling to himself, he turned back around...  
  
And ran right into a purple fist.  
  
The promoter was knocked back and fortunately, landed in the soft grass of a nearby park. Well, fortunate for somebody. He wouldn't be so forutnate is the sprite attached to that fist found him. He once again took off on foot, but was stopped when Kit landed in front of him. Turning quickly, he nearly ran into the other purple fist of Roscoe. "Now, now, boys..." he stammered. "You gotta listen to me. It was Gain and that Packard guy. They put me up to this, I swear."  
  
"You've never been a good liar, Vance." Roscoe replied, advancing towards the sprite. Just as he was about to reap the rewards of venegance for all the sorrow he had gone through at the hands of Viper and UFL, Kit stopped him.   
  
"Bri, Matrix, and Enzo are already in trouble for taking out their anger and revenge." he told his friend. "Do you really want to be added to the list?"  
  
Roscoe looked as though he might refuse, but his features softened and he nodded his head. Vance realized the two might want to enjoy this tender moment in peace, so he decided he would go off somewhere until he thought it be good to come back. He began to backspace and began to turn around, but suddenly he heard, "Raiden, containment field!" and he was wrapped in energy strands. He looked over at Roscoe and Kit, who just smirked at him. "Going somewhere, Vance?" the young guardian asked. 


	13. Epilogue

** Viral Legacy**  
  
**  
  
Epilogue  
  
  
  
** Tension in the court was high as spectators, witnesses, defense, and prosecution returned for the verdict in the case against Dot Matrix and her brothers. Despite being an accessory to the fact, T. Johnson Peters was still smiling. No matter what happened to him ~ and by what Turbo alluded to, it wouldn't be pleasant~ he had done his job. There was no way the Matrixes would walk out of that court free sprites.   
  
No chance in Dell.  
  
On the defense side, the time to worry was now. Even after the surprise testimony of Peters, the defense was still worried they could come out on top. They had made so many wrong turns at the very start, that it seemed even the luck that came their way now couldn't hold out. Jet sat nervously tapping his fingers on the table, apparently loudly enough Nikki had to cover his hand with hers, telling him, "The whole court can hear you. Stop it." The teen hoped his efforts in flushing out Peters and ultimately the trio of backstabbers that now sat in the holding cell themselves, would help to exonorate his family and hopefully not put them next to the trio aforementioned.  
  
The counsil members one by one entered into the court, followed by Judge Riley.  
  
The time had come.  
  
The members took their seats, leaving the former Prime standing at the head of the table. "Would defense please rise?" he asked, watching as the front table rose together silently. "It is here by the High Court of the Net and the system of Trison that I now read your sentence. It is by judgement of the court, that the defendants, Dorthea Matrix, Enzo David Matrix, and Enzo David Matrix, Jr..."  
  
The court held its breath.  
  
"...on the charges of crimes against the net,"  
  
The prosecutor smiled.  
  
"...be charged with the verdict of..."  
  
The defense held its breath, desperately searching for redemption, but coming to the realization of damnation.  
  
"...not guilty."  
  
Collective sighs and soft congradulations went through the defense.   
  
Turbo turned to two young guardian cadets that stood next to the table. "If you'll take Mr. Peters..." he said, indicating the prosecutor.   
  
They had done it. Against the odds, against the struggle, they had done it. But as Jet got the praise he had wanted, he still felt like something was missing. The better part of him knew he was just being childish now. They had won and with his help, how could he possibly not be happy? He had to quell his own thoughts as his mother hugged him and he received pats on the back from his uncles. Turbo walked over, following the guardians as they went to take Peters into custody.  
  
"I hate to interrupt," he began. "But I was wondering if I could have a word with you, Prime Guardian. Bring your students along, will you?" It was clear they weren't out of the woods yet. As Turbo turned to leave, the four in question coming to stop behind the former Prime, he turned towards Jet and said, "I'd like to see you as well, Mr. Lan, after I take care of this. Good job."   
  
He then turned and walked away, leaving Jet to stare after his retreating form. The back of his father was soon replaced by the face of Peters. "I must admit, Lan," he said. "I didn't realize you would be so smart as to not only follow me, but to record my conversation as well."  
  
"Conversation?" Jet asked, confused. "Oh, you mean exhibit E? That wasn't your conversation."  
  
"What?" Peters growled.  
  
"That's a little file by the late, great Johann Sebastian Bach." Jet replied. "I always have been fond of classical."  
  
"Why you little..." Peters spat, lunging for the teen, but being stopped by the guardians on either side.   
  
"Oh, and one more thing." Jet said, coming closer to the former prosecutor. "Suck this." And his fist connected with the side of Peters' face.  
  
  
***  
  
Roscoe paced outside the makeshift court, waiting for Sabrina to emerge. He couldn't image what could be going on in there. Turbo was like the guy Bob reported to and to have him and three of his students involved in this whole thing...the young adult didn't want to think about it. He didn't even want to think about having to go back to the Super Computer without his girlfriend, without the woman he loved. She was the reason he was a guardian, she was the reason he had escaped the hell that was the UFL, she was the reason his life had gone so good.  
  
She was his everything.  
  
He remembered what life was like without her and he didn't like it, not in the least. He stopped his pacing when he heard voices from inside. The doors opened and some of the spectactors that stayed finally filtered out, not getting the answer to their questions. He watched as they all left, turning to see Dot to his left. She gave him a small smile, but he could see she was as worried as he was. The four in question soon left the room, none of them giving any indication as to what transpired inside.  
  
Roscoe walked over to Sabrina, who was nodding at something her father had said. Matrix regarded his daughter's boyfriend, before nodding him over to where they stood. He then walked over to his sister and brother in law. The purple guardian looked at the teacher expectantly. Sabrina sighed and said, "Suspension. For a whole minute."  
  
Roscoe let out the breath he was holding in relief. "You have no idea how worried I was." he whispered.  
  
"That's what Dad said too." she replied. "It could've been worse, like being kicked out of the Collective. We're really lucky, even Uncle Bob." Bri sighed again. "A whole minute."  
  
"Hey," Roscoe replied, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'll keep you company and I'll definately make sure you've got things to do."  
  
"Really?" she cooed, her hands on his chest.  
  
Roscoe gave her a seductive smile. "I think I can keep you occupied for a minute." he whispered, leaning his head down towards hers.  
  
"Roscoe!"  
  
The purple sprite actually jumped back, releasing his girlfriend, folding his arms, and smiled at the girl's father.  
  
Dot and Bob gave Matrix a look, causing the large sprite to shrug. "I hadn't done it for a while." he replied.  
  
***  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey."  
  
Kit walked around to face his brother, the very sprite he had been at odds with the whole trip. "Congradulations." he said, taking a seat on the defense desk. Jet gave an embarassed smile. "And I mean with the trial as well as your appointment."  
  
That had Jet shocked as well. After his meeting with the guardian quartet, Turbo had called him in to judges' chambers. There, the former Prime Guardian had asked the teenager to be the permanent defense lawyer for the HCN, provided the teen enroll in the law program they had. The sprite hadn't wasted any time in saying yes and shaking the leader's hand. "I certainly couldn't turn something like down." the teen replied.  
  
"It'll delete Mom, you know." Kit continued. "Having the both of us out of the system."  
  
"I know."  
  
"But," his brother said, holding out his hand. "I couldn't wish it on a more deserving sprite."  
  
Jet looked at his brother, then at his hand, before taking it in his hand and shaking slowly. "Thanks, Kit."  
  
"Look," the elder sighed. "I know we haven't been on the best of terms in this thing and I certainly wasn't behaving up to my best..."  
  
"You were a royal ASCII." his brother inputed.  
  
"That too." Kit said. "None the less, you handled this case very professionally, especially for someone who isn't a lawyer." He was quiet for a nano. "You know I'm proud of you, Jet."  
  
The young sprite looked up in surprise. "Really?"  
  
Kit laughed. "Yes." he said. "What is there not to be proud of? You did what you had to. You took control of this case when it was going out of control and managed to discover a plot so deep it involved the prosecutor. Hell, you stood up to me. And that, little brother, is something I'm certainly not used to. You held your own and battled shit from both the outside and inside. You won this case, just like you said you would."  
  
"But at what cost?" Jet murmured. He and Kit had always been close in the past and it really did hurt the teen to know that his actions as well as his brother's might put them on the off.  
  
"You're still my brother, Jetison." Kit told him, his hand resting on the younger sprite's shoulder. "No matter what ever, _ever_ happens, you're my brother and I will always love you. Even when you're irritating me to no end and I'm a royal pain in your ASCII..." Jet giggled. Kit smiled, then again turned serious. "I'm proud to have you as my brother, you know that, right?"  
  
Jet nodded, abeit hesitantly. His earlier feelings seemed to lift from his chest. Maybe that was all he needed, was his brother to say he was proud, that he was making the right choices in life. "I guess I was kinda worried," he whispered. "About you not being proud or something, like you were better than me."  
  
Kit chuckled. "Well, of course I'm better." he said. "I am the oldest after all."  
  
"Log off." Jet replied, chuckling as well, and giving his brother a shove.   
  
"You were really worried about that?"  
  
Jet shrugged. "I just know that...I felt like something wasn't there and I guess I thought it was cause everyone worshipped you and stuff."  
  
Kit regarded his brother for a bit, still facinated with what went on in the teen's head. Truth be told, Kit could be a little envious of the boy, after all it was Jet who shared a psychic connection with their sister. It was Jet who could teleport. It was Jet who garnered most of the attention... "I've been that way before." he said, earning a look of surprise from his sibling. "Hey, you try being the eldest son, especially when your father is the famed Guardian 452, who is now the Prime of the Collective. Or to top that, try being a scientist in a family of guardians and even trying to best your grandparents, who your mother won't even talk about."  
  
Jet suddenly realized he had been spared all of that. While he had stressing over outdoing his brother, Kit had to contend with making sure his decisions, especially knowing the past that they held, wouldn't upset their family. Kit had started out needing to prove himself, where Jet almost just decided to put that upon his own being. "I've been a selfish little dipswitch, huh?" he asked, quietly.  
  
"No more than usual."  
  
Jet punched him in the arm. "You really do need to log off." he said. "Not that you're not already."  
  
"And what would you know about that?" Kit asked, amused.  
  
"My room is next door, you know." Jet said, coming closer to his brother. "Apparently, your headboard is at the wall where mine is and the walls aren't too thick." The younger sprite let his brother chew on that little bit of information before heading out of court.  
  
***  
  
The Trison holding cell had been a large attraction since the formation of the High Court of the Net counsel. The holding cell was now becoming more and more crowded with criminals that had been charged. Three such criminals found themselves in seperate cells in the very place. Alexander Gain paced as best as he could, while Vance McMillian sat on his bench writing a list of people who could get him out, either legally or illegally. Robert Packard sat in an adjoining cell, ignoring the voice of guilt that began rising from out of no where. _You've lost them, _it said. Oh, he lost them, all right. Jet Lan seemed to be the only redeemable member in that family until he turned him over, _his own grandfather, _to the waiting guardian force. It was just as he had said when he came to Mainframe.  
  
He had no son, his son had no father.  
  
Now his grandchildren had no grandfather.   
  
It was better this way.   
  
To Dell and back with them, for all he cared, and he didn't. He hadn't cared since his wife deleted. That was all the family he needed and he didn't have that. It was better this way. Robert Lan, Jr. wasn't a Lan anymore. He was a Matrix and that went for his children as well. So much better. He wasn't a family sprite anyways. He was a businessman. He glanced at the wall where his other cospirators were. He may be finished with the Matrix family, but he doubt the two in there were.  
  
Probably not by a long shot.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
